INEVITABLE DESTINY?
by Desktop Dragon
Summary: (AU) Ella didn't die of an overdose in a seedy Detroit apartment, she stayed with Christian's father and made a spectacular success of her life and Christian was never adopted or abused by the pimp or Elena. But does that mean he never became a successful businessman or meet Ana or was it always an inevitable destiny that they would? I DO NOT OWN FSOG OR IT'S CHARACTERS.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE: This story has been in the works since 2015 and only now is it finally at a point where I am reasonably happy for it to be uploaded. It started out as a full story but I just didn't have the time to dedicate to putting the level of detail in needed, so I then decided to condense what I had into a comprehensive 'one-shot' rather than a full story which was lacking. However, it ended up being too big for a 'one-shot'. So, we have fallen somewhere between a 'one-shot' and a full story with a short story! After much tweaking and deliberation, I am now finally happy(ish) enough with it to share it.**

**The idea behind it is Ella **_**didn't**_** end up in a Detroit slum hooked on drugs and selling herself while her pimp physically abused Christian. In this universe, Ella stayed with Christian's father and they made a real go of being a family. Despite their very young ages and the odds being stacked against them they succeeded and Christian had a modest yet happy childhood and Ella made a huge success of her life. However, that also means Christian never ended up in a Seattle hospital, was never adopted by the Grey's and never fell into Elena's hands. Did that also mean he never became a successful businessman and was never interviewed by Ana – or were they always destined to be together one way or another?**

**The story begins Ella is just 16 years old, for the sake of this story I have given her a birth date of January so by the time Christian is born she has turned 17.**

**Enjoy!**

INEVITABLE DESTINY

CHAPTER 1

_June 18__th__ 1983…_

"Come on Ella you can do it!" I encourage my beautiful girlfriend to continue pushing.

She is covered in sweat and is obviously tired from the long labour she has endured.

She looks up at me, her long brunette hair plastered against her forehead. I press the damp wash cloth to her head once more.

"Come on baby, nearly there" I coax.

I glance nervously at the doctor and she is telling Ella to push and then she looks up at me, as she makes eye contact with me, she smiles reassuringly.

"He's a big boy and she is petite so it was always going to be hard work for her" she says.

With one herculean effort Ella takes a deep breath, grips my hand even tighter and pushes and then she screams out and I see our son's head now outside Ella's body. I smile as I see the mass of copper hair, my copper hair.

"Come on I can see him… and he has my hair; come on Ella you've got this. Push him out, you are doing so well" I say.

Ella has my hand in a grip of iron and she pushes again and then his shoulders are clear and our son slips from her body.

I have tears flowing freely and I press a kiss to her soaked forehead. "You did it, you did it" I croak the emotion overwhelming me.

Activity goes on around me and I watch with a kind of detached interest as all I can focus on is Ella and my new-born son. He is screaming loudly, and I smile. There is nothing wrong with those lungs and I follow the nurse as he is taken to be weighed and checked. I feel an intense surge of pride as he is wrapped in a towel and laid in my arms.

"My boy" I gaze down at the wriggling little bundle and he opens his eyes and looks straight into my own.

I take him to Ella who is being checked over and I place him gently into her arms.

"Here is your son" I say and I watch as her arms go protectively around him.

"Our son" she corrects me and I smile at her.

"Do you have a name for him?" the doctor says and I glance at Ella and she nods.

"Yes, we do, "Christian, his name is Christian" I say.

"And his surname is Harper" Ella quickly puts in. I stare at her but she nods her head adamantly. "Christian Anthony Harper" she says firmly.

I sit beside her and watch her carefully. I am in awe of this brave young girl, who at just seventeen years old is also still just a child herself. A pang of guilt goes through me at that thought. We both are children and realistically speaking we are both too young for the responsibility of parenthood and I know the odds of us making it are not good but we have to try, we have to give it our best shot for his sake. My eyes drop to my son who is now suckling at his mother's breast.

I will never forget that cold early December evening when my life changed forever. The biting wind had sent the temperatures plummeting and it was starting to snow. Winter in Detroit is always brutal and this particular weekend was really very cold. That evening I had been in my bedroom reading when my parents had called me down from upstairs. I'd heard the tapping on the front door but not really paid any attention to it and I'd stayed in my warm bedroom, not bothering to find out who was calling.

When I had come down after my parents had urgently called me and I'd laid eyes on Ella. I was astounded and dismayed by what I saw. She looked cold, tired and dirty. But that shock was nothing to what I felt when she dropped her bombshell. She said she was three months pregnant and that the baby was mine. My mind had gone back to three months previously back in September and we had been organising a party for a mutual friend of ours who was moving away. I'd been seeing her for a few months and we were starting to find it increasingly difficult to keep our hands off each other. Then that particular day we had started kissing and things had gone way too far. Neither of us had been prepared for how events had turned, both of us wanted it to happen and in those moments of mindless fumbling I had ended up taking her virginity and also lost my own and it seems whilst doing it I'd made us parents at the same time.

We did have sex again after that first time but we had also used condoms each time afterwards. We were convinced that nothing would happen after just that one time. Then suddenly Ella stopped coming around and every time I called her home her parents refused to let me speak to her. They told me not to bother their daughter again. I had been confused and wondered what had happened but after hearing Ella's story it all became clear.

She had told her parents that she was pregnant and she had named me as the father. She told them she loved me and that I loved her. Her dad had gone ape shit and told her she was never to speak, see or have anything to do with me again. Then they had banned her from having any contact with the outside world, while they tried to brainwash her into having an abortion. They wanted her to erase the mistake she had made. But my brave little Ella had resisted and eventually found a way to escape the prison that she had been forcibly pushed into. She had left the house in the dead of night and ran away. Trying to keep one step ahead of her parents, she hadn't come straight to me as she didn't want to lead them to me and so she had been sleeping rough for nearly two months until she was fairly certain they had given up looking for her. I had no idea about any of this; so as far as I can determine from the fact her parents hadn't come here looking for her, I can only assume that they really weren't that bothered and had decided to just wash their hands of her.

My mom and dad had been understandably furious and disappointed when they heard all this. But thankfully that disappointment and anger was directed towards me, as it was clear Ella was in no fit state at that moment for a tongue lashing but that didn't stop me getting one. My dad had called me irresponsible and stupid, but despite that they also had a degree of sympathy for us as my mom was just seventeen when she had me. My dad was twenty and he had stepped up and done the right thing by my mom and me. They had faced untold resistance from both sets of parents and my mom was urged to abort me at first and then badgered to put me up for adoption but she had flatly refused to do either and my dad had stood by her and helped her raise me.

Their story was my inspiration that I could make a go of it with Ella. If they could buck the statistics and still be together seventeen years down the line then surely, I could too. So here I was, Daniel Christian Harper seventeen years old and a father to be with my then pregnant sixteen-year-old girlfriend ready to follow the path they had done previously. I can't fault the support they have given us; they took in Ella there and then and that first night they fed her and helped her get clean and warm. Then my younger sister, Mel who had also witness Ella's arrival had offered her some of her clothes to wear. When she had bathed and eaten and was sitting looking much better in a pair of my sister's sweatpants and a hoodie, I had gone and sat with her to try and figure out what we were going to do. Much to my surprise my dad had then stepped in and insisted on taking her home. I had stared at him in shock and protested loudly saying I wasn't going to send Ella and my baby back to what she had tried so hard to escape from; but he said she had to let her parents know she was safe. He had gone on to explain that he hoped that if we all sat down together that we could talk reasonably about what was going to happen. Ella had said that her parents were unreasonable and I could tell she was really scared about going back there, but my dad was insistent and drove us to her house; he said it was in everyone's best interests to be reasonable about it but that all changed when we had arrived because their attitude had been horrific. In fact, it was so horrific that my dad had made the decision on the spot there and then and he told Ella to pack her stuff and that she was coming home with us.

Her parents were truly horrendous, and unreasonable didn't begin to describe their behaviour. They treated her as if she had committed a heinous crime. They hurled vile insults at her and looked at her as if she was something nasty on the bottom of their shoe and not their beautiful, intelligent daughter. They had told her if she left the house with us that evening, she needn't ever bother to come back. To which Ella had responded by saying that it was fine by her. My dad called his brother and when my Uncle Tony arrived with a van, we had stripped Ella's room of her belongings which she wanted to keep. It wasn't pleasant though as all the time we were being screamed and cursed at by her parents. I can't help but wonder how Ella coped living in such a toxic environment and it gives me a whole deeper sense of admiration for my girl. When Ella was certain she had everything she wanted, we all calmly walked downstairs and out of the house, with her parents still screaming abuse at her. Ella didn't even look back; this was hardly surprising as her mother was calling her a dirty whore and a filthy hooker and her father even told her that he hoped she died in childbirth.

My dad had been so angry when he said that. My uncle and I had to hold him back from taking a swing at him for saying it; but it was Ella who calmed him down. She simply stood in front of him and placed her hands on his chest. She had thanked him for his outrage on her behalf, but she also told him she didn't want him to have an assault charge on her account.

We had returned to my home and we had emptied all Ella's belongings into the spare bedroom; which was now officially Ella's room, while my dad and uncle filled in my mom on the interaction we had with Ella's parents and their diabolical behaviour. My mom was shocked, and it takes a lot to shock my mom. She had been disowned by her parents when she made it clear that she was keeping me. However, they had eventually reconciled after I was born and it became clear my dad was in it for the long haul. I don't see that happening with Ella's parents any time soon, so I know we are literally all she has now.

I look down at our son now sleeping peacefully in Ella's arms.

"You know, by rights because we are not married it should be your surname that goes on the paperwork" I say gently.

Ella shakes her head defiantly, "No, I want him to have your surname" she says and I wrap my arm around her.

"Ok baby, we can talk about that later" I say but she shakes her head adamantly again and looks me in the eye.

"No, I want him to have your surname, I don't want my family name attached to him after the way my parents have treated us. Christian is a Harper _not_ a Macgregor" she says firmly.

I can understand that. After Ella had moved in with us, every time we had been out and about and seen her parents, they had made a point to scream abuse at us in the street and cause a scene. After the third occasion my dad, uncle and grandfather had gone to Ella's parents' house and I have no idea what had been said or done, but from that moment on whenever we saw them they simply crossed the street and blanked us.

I kiss her forehead, "You'll be a Harper soon enough too" I assure her and she shakes her head sadly.

"I have no idea why they won't just sign the consent forms and let me marry you. They don't want me and yet they won't let me go" she says.

I hold her tightly, "It's all about control with them and they want control over a situation which you are not willing to give to them, they are the worst kind of bullies. Right from the start the way they tried to brainwash you into having an abortion, and when you left, I think that shocked them that you were prepared to do that. Since then they have tried to exert that need for control over you. Like the way they behaved every time we saw them out and about, but once again they had that control taken away when my family intervened and went to see them. This is the final thing that they have the control over, but don't worry you are 17 now and as soon as you reach your 18th birthday you and I will be taking a little trip to city hall and I will be placing a wedding band beside this engagement ring," I say as I press a small kiss to the ring on her finger.

**oooOOOooo**

_Seven months later…_

_(January 15__th__ 1984)_

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today before family and friends to witness and celebrate the marriage of Daniel and Ella. Welcome and thank you for being here on this special day".

I look at Ella standing in front of me dressed in a simple yet beautiful outfit on this cold January day, today Ella celebrates her 18th birthday and she also officially becomes my wife. I pull my gaze away from her and towards my parents, grandparents and uncle who are all here to witness this moment. It is a simple city hall service but it is not the wedding that is important it is the marriage we build from it. But sadly, none of Ella's family are here to witness this occasion.

As I think this, I hear the door open and look towards the back of the room and I take in a sharp breath. I nudge Ella and nod my head towards the back of the room. She turns to look and I see tears in her eyes as she sees her fifteen-year-old sister Tia looking nervously at us.

I glance at my mom. She is watching us carefully and as she sees us look towards the door she turns to look and a frown fills her face as she sees Tia quietly sit down by herself. Her attention returns to Christian, she is holding him and he is starting to get restless. He is seven months old now and he is a bright boy, advanced for his age and curious about everything. At this moment he is taking in everything that is going on around him. My mom pulls his attention to her as she says his name and then points towards us.

He looks and as he sees us, he smiles widely and starts bouncing in my mom's arms.

"Da da da da" he calls as he finds us and I smile. He is a very vocal baby and he has recently started saying that. Although we both know it is just random sounds he is making and he doesn't associate it with us yet, but it still fills me with pride to hear him say it. Ella looks across at her son and smiles, the pride and love in her eyes for our son is evident.

I return my attention to the city hall official who is now speaking.

"Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. Let us love one another".

I look at Ella and we focus our attention on the official.

"Daniel and Ella, today you take the step of consecrating the very special relationship you have been building, and in this step, you change forever the direction of your individual life paths. In marriage, two people give themselves freely and openly into the hands of the other and in doing so, each receives the love and trust of the other as their most precious gift. But even as that gift is shared by two people who are in love, it also touches their community of family members and friends who in various ways support and contribute to the relationship. Those of you here today are part of Daniel and Ella's community of family and friends, and each of you has played some part in bringing them to this moment. This community also includes those friends and family who cannot be here today, and those who have left this life, and we here recognise those unseen ties that bond them to Daniel and Ella".

He turns towards Ella and smiles at her. "Ella if you could repeat after me… I, Ella Frances Macgregor take you Daniel Christian Harper, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do us part".

I take a deep breath in as Ella repeats the vows in a strong confident voice. Then he turns to me.

"Daniel, repeat after me… I Daniel Christian Harper, take you Ella Frances Macgregor, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part".

I repeat the vows sincerely as I grip Ella's hand tightly; this is it for me this girl is my world.

The official smiles, "The rings please" he says politely" he pauses as I reach into my pocket and pull out the two simple wedding bands and hand them to him. "Thank you" he replies, "The wedding ring is an unbroken symbol of the everlasting love and commitment between husband and wife".

He pauses again and turns to Ella, "Ella if you could repeat after me, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and devotion to you".

I fix my eyes on Ella as she repeats the words whilst looking directly into my eyes. I tune out the official and focus on Ella as she speaks to me.

"Today I give to you all who I am, and accept from you all that you are".

"Today I make a personal promise of love and trust that you are my husband".

"Each day I wear this ring, the world will know that I am yours".

"When you look at this ring, may it remind you that I will always be your best friend".

"I love you with all my heart and I am honoured to be your wife, today, tomorrow, and always".

"With this ring, I thee wed". I watch as she pushes the ring on to my finger and then lowering her head, she presses a kiss to it and squeezes my hand.

I am so fixed on her I nearly miss what the official says next and it is only when Ella nudges me I realise it is my turn. I grasp her hand and repeat the words to Ella that the official speaks to me.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and devotion to you".

"Today I give to you all who I am, and accept from you all that you are".

"Today I make a personal promise of love and trust that you are my wife".

"Each day I wear this ring, the world will know that I am yours".

"When you look at this ring, may it remind you that I will always be your best friend".

"I love you with all my heart and I am honoured to be your husband, today, tomorrow, and always".

"With this ring, I thee wed". I push the ring onto Ella's finger and look up into her eyes.

The official beams at us, "By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Daniel you may kiss your bride".

I don't hesitate and I lean forward and cupping Ella's face in my hands I pull her gently towards me and plant my lips against hers. I hear her groan and her hands come up into my hair and I can't help myself, I pull her close and deepen the kiss totally forgetting we have a room full of witnesses to this moment. When we eventually come up for air there is a ripple of amusement and Ella even giggles a little.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr & Mrs Harper. Congratulations to you both".

I grip Ella's hand as we move towards our family who all surge forward. Christian leans towards us and Ella grasps him and pulls him into her arms, then she turns towards her sister who is hanging back.

"Tia" she says quietly.

Everyone looks round and the girl nervously walks forward. "Hi Ella, I couldn't not see you get married, you're my sister. Dad has no idea I'm here, and if he did, well…" she shakes her head sadly.

"Thank you for coming Tia" Ella says as she wraps an arm around her little sister.

We all go to our favourite restaurant to celebrate. As we are all chatting afterwards, my mother comes and sits next to me.

"That was a bit of a surprise" she murmurs and nods towards the exit where Tia is now leaving and giving her sister an emotional hug goodbye.

I nod, "Tia and Ella were… are, really close. They tried to keep in touch but that bastard of a father put a stop to it. As far as he was concerned Ella was a corrupting influence. He had disowned her and as such he believed he had the right to prevent her from seeing Tia as well". I pause and smile, "but he failed to take into consideration the stubbornness and downright ingenuity of two very bright girls, there was no way Tia wouldn't be here today to see us get married".

My mother shakes her head sadly, "there are people out there who should never have kids" she says and then she reaches for my hand and squeezes it, "but Ella is part of our family now".

I look across at my wife, "she is" I say proudly.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHORS NOTE: I just want to say how overwhelmed I am with the response to this story. A massive thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, follow, favour and review. I am now actually a little nervous that it isn't going to live up to the massive expectations people seem to be having! As you may've gathered, and will see as the story progresses there are going to be a series of time jumps (and some of them are quite big) through the story, that is because I have concentrated the main parts of the story on the circumstances of Christian's birth and key moments in his and Ella's life.**

**Finally, I realise that this is a completely rose tinted and totally unrealistic view of the life of a struggling teen couple and their baby. However, I wanted to write a story where Christian had a normal childhood and wasn't damaged by his upbringing as this has been done to death and this was the only way I could do it and besides, I think Ella deserved a happy story too. **

**This has been incredibly hard to write and continues to be hard as I pad out the skeleton story I have, as I tend to find writing happy stuff difficult – I much prefer writing angst, drama and negative but I think I am managing to pull it off. But that also means along with the fact I work six days out of seven, I will post updates when I can. **

CHAPTER 2

_Five months later…_

_(June 18__th__ 1994)_

Today is Christian's first birthday but it is also a double celebration as against all the odds my beautiful, clever and amazing wife has graduated from High School, and today is her graduation ceremony. Not only has she graduated but she has totally smashed it by spectacularly graduating with outstanding grades. She exceeded all expectations, not that those expectations were big considering the fact she wasn't expected to graduate at all and the school had practically written her off as just another statistic. To them she was simply a young girl who had ruined her life and who would go on to struggle, but she had more than proved them wrong.

She has dreams and she is determined that she is going to realise them. She is so smart and I will do whatever it takes to help her. She wants to be a doctor so as far as I am concerned, I will do whatever it takes to help her realise that ambition. She told me that it was a dream of hers since she was a little girl. She had told me that her parents had been happy with her ambition and had encouraged her to study hard and achieve good grades. The fact they had been so invested in her future when she was growing up made their reaction and subsequent rejection of her hurt her even more. She now believes that all they were interested in was the bragging rights of having a doctor in the family and it had nothing to do with her happiness. She believes that is why they reacted so badly when she discovered that she was pregnant. They had immediately decided that her dreams and ambitions were in tatters, which is why they had fought so hard for her to abort our son. But my stubborn ass wife had said no, and she had not only said no, but she had gone on to prove her parents wrong as well and shown them that she could have dreams and ambition _and_ be a mother at the same time. She is a damn good one as well, Christian is her number one priority when she makes any decision.

It makes me really angry that her parents aren't here today, and confirms the fact that they aren't really interested in Ella. I also think the fact she has proved them wrong has made it harder for them to be here as they would never want to admit they were wrong. Far too much has been said, so much nastiness and viciousness that can never be unsaid, for them to turn up and basically say we were wrong wasn't ever going to happen. Her father was too much of a narcissist to ever consider the fact he could possibly be wrong and I think her mother just went along with what her father said. Despite that and our low expectations we had offered the olive branch, and made it damned easy for them to take it. We had told them she was graduating and when the ceremony was but they haven't shown up. I know that it hurts Ella that they didn't bother but I don't think that she really expected them to come. When I had mentioned it, she had brushed it off by saying that she hadn't expected them to be here. My parents have more than stepped up though and they are both here today to watch Ella graduate. I know that she appreciates this and she looks upon them as her parents now. I also know that they look upon her as another daughter.

Tia isn't here either and I know that probably hurts Ella more than the fact her parents are a no-show. I do know that her dad was incandescent when he found out Tia had disobeyed him and come to our wedding. He had called Ella and screamed abuse at her down the phone. He had issued threats of what he would do to her and Christian if she tried to contact Tia again. Ella was smart and as soon as her father started ranting at her she recorded the entire conversation along with the threats. When she had told me what he had said, and I heard what her father had said I took the recording to my dad and we had gone to the police. This had made things worse between Ella and her family, but it had also shown them that they would never ever threaten my wife and son and get away with it.

"She looks so happy" I turn at the whisper in my ear and smile at my sister Melanie who is grinning.

"She does" I say simply.

"You really love her, don't you?" Melanie asks me and I nod. Unable to articulate just how much Ella means to me.

"I was worried you know, when mom told me what had happened, I really was worried. I knew mom and dad bucked the stats when mom got pregnant with you and they are still going strong, but… I was still concerned".

I turn and look at her carefully, "You don't doubt me, do you Mel?" I ask and she laughs. Melanie is younger than me by 2 years, so she is also younger than Ella but she is so mature and sometimes comes out with some pretty profound stuff.

"I did… but I don't now, after seeing how she has dealt with everything that has been thrown at her, I know that everything is going to be ok… I also know I wouldn't have managed to cope and deal with it as she has done, just make sure you do your part" she says.

I nod, "I intend to, I know it hurt her when her parents disowned her but she knows she can count on me, not to mention mom and dad now" I say adamantly.

I return my attention to Ella and watch smiling with unconcealed pride as Christian reaches up and plays with the tassel on Ella's mortar board, as she holds him in her arms and I quickly snap a photograph of them. He is totally unaware that it is his birthday, so he's quite happy to share his special day with his mother. She on the other hand is adamant that her High School graduation will not overshadow her son's day and she has made it clear that once we are done here, we are going to focus on our son and not her.

"Christian!" I call and he looks straight at me.

I gasp as I always do at his striking grey eyes and his laser like gaze. I blow a raspberry and he beams at me, he also has a breath-taking smile. Ella looks at me and smiles widely and I quickly take the photograph.

"Here Daniel, give me that camera and go and stand with Ella and Christian". I turn and my father lifts the camera from my hand and I walk over to Ella and with Christian between us I wrap my arm protectively around them both.

"Christian, look at granddad!" my father calls and my son obediently looks up at him. Ella and I look at the camera and I see my father take the shot.

I turn towards Ella and give her a kiss, as I do so I hear the camera click again but I ignore it.

"Ella". We both turn and see Tia standing a few feet away looking nervously around.

"Tia!" Ella exclaims and immediately pulls away from me. I take Christian from her arms and watch as she approaches her sister. When she reaches her, Tia bursts into tears and Ella wraps her arms around her younger sister.

We try and give the two some space but we also want to know what has happened. We all move closer and listen to Tia as she explains why she didn't turn up to the ceremony but why she is here now. She tells Ella that her father had issued dire warnings that if she turned up to the graduation ceremony, she would also face being ejected from the family home. He had gone so far as getting their mother to lock her in her bedroom to prevent her from leaving the house and only letting her out when she was certain the ceremony was over.

Ella was furious that her father was behaving in such an unreasonable way, but Tia was just apologetic that she had let her parents have such control over her and as a result missed her sisters' day. Ella had assured her that the fact she was here now was more than enough for her and after Tia had dried her eyes she had posed with her sister and had her photograph taken with her and also with Christian. It wasn't lost on me though that she would never be able to have copies of these photographs, in case her parents found them.

After a painfully short amount of time, Tia decided she couldn't risk being here any longer and after giving her sister another emotional hug she left.

Ella was understandably upset by what had happened but she was also pleased that her sister did want to be here, and gone as far as she did to make an appearance albeit for an agonisingly short amount of time. She had tried to hide her emotions and put on a brave face but we could all tell that her parents' unbelievable behaviour had got to her.

I wrap my arm around her to offer her some kind of comfort and I press a kiss to her temple. "I am so proud of you baby, and you deserve that college scholarship" I say, as I try and change the subject and get Ella to focus on something else, something positive.

We learnt recently that Ella has been accepted on a full scholarship to the University of Michigan and I am supporting her all the way. It will be about an hour commute each day but all my family are rallying around to make sure she makes the most of this unbelievable opportunity. I work with my dad and uncle in the family painting and decorating business. At the moment we have an agreement, in return for my free labour and loyalty to the business, Ella, Christian and I have a roof over our heads, food and clothing and child care.

Ella is smart though; she has the potential to realise her ambition and become a medical doctor and when she managed to get a full scholarship, we urged her to accept it. The road ahead of her is a long one, she is looking at about 7-8 years of learning as the sheer amount of knowledge required for medicine is difficult, but just getting into school can be even harder. We were told that Medical school acceptance rates are extremely low as they want the most academically competitive students. That is what makes admissions so difficult, so we all know that by the very fact Ella was accepted and accepted on a full scholarship means she is something incredibly special. So, we are all determined to help her fulfil her ambitions.

I watch as Ella pulls herself up straight and smiles bravely at me. She takes a deep breath and stands on her tip toes and presses a kiss to my lips. Then she holds out her arms and takes Christian from me and focusses her attention on him. I watch her and once again I am struck by what a good mother she is.

"Shall we go home now and celebrate our son's first birthday; after all it's his day too?" Ella whispers in my ear.

I turn towards her and nod, "Yes baby, let's go" I agree.

We all make our way back to my parent's house where there is a huge birthday cake waiting which my mom had made for Christian, along with all his gifts and cards. When we arrive, my mom's next-door neighbour comes out with a small bag in her hand.

"Ella, Daniel – someone came by and left this with me for you" she says as she offers the bag to us.

"Thank you" I say as I take the bag and look inside, then I hand it to Ella. She pulls out a card and a small toy car, which is obviously for Christian and there is also a note and a card for Ella for her graduation.

"It's from Tia" she says.

I frown, wondering why she didn't just give it to us at the High School. Ella hands me the hurriedly written note and as I read it everything becomes clear. This was delivered _before_ she was locked in her bedroom.

_Ella,_

_If you are reading this, then I have had to change my plans as dad has discovered that I am coming to your graduation ceremony. _

_It will also mean that I can't be there for you and see you graduate and for that I am sorry. I have this gift for Christian for his birthday, and because I have just seen dad and he has seen me, I know I am going to be picked up shortly. Please wish Christian a happy birthday from his Aunty Tia._

_I love you,_

_Tia x_

I hand the note to my mom and she shakes her head, "that poor girl" she says sadly.

**oooOOOooo**

_Eight Years later…_

"So, mom is a real doctor now?"

I look down at my nine-year-old son and wrap my arm around him and I nod.

"Yes son she is, and it's been a long and tough road for her, but now she is a fully qualified real doctor" I say proudly, as I watch my Ella at her graduation ceremony. Once again, I have my camera and I snap photos of her receiving her degree.

She has been in residency at the big hospital here in Detroit. She has specialised in Paediatrics and she was originally working with a fabulous doctor called Grace Trevelyan, who took Ella under her wing and encouraged her and she has had a significant impact on Ella's life. Dr Trevelyan was so impressed with Ella she put forward her name for a permanent position at the hospital. Sadly, she left the hospital a few years ago when her family moved to Seattle. I know Ella still keeps in touch with her mentor though, as she had such a profound effect on her and a positive impact on her career.

"You see son, to get anywhere in life you have to work hard, your mom worked really hard and now it has paid off and she is a doctor. Your mom is a really amazing woman, she is smart and she is driven, do you understand what I am saying?" I look down at my son and he looks up at me with his grey eyes so like mine boring into me like lasers and he nods.

I ruffle his already unruly copper hair, "good boy" I say.

"Dad!" he complains and I laugh as I pull him close.

Christian, like Ella is my pride. I have no doubt as he grows up and matures, he will be as big a success as his mother as he has her brains, stubbornness and drive. Physically, he is a perfect mixture of us both, he has my eyes and hair colouring but Ella's features. He has my height and stature and he is going to be a tall strong boy, as he is far taller than most other kids of his age. He has my laid-back attitude to life, and yet he has inherited Ella's astonishing intellect and drive when it matters most. He is an amazing little boy, and I couldn't be prouder of him.

"Hello Daniel," I turn at the voice and I am shocked to see Dr Trevelyan standing beaming at me.

"Dr Trevelyan what a surprise" I say as I hold out my hand.

Dr Trevelyan laughs, "You don't think I would miss seeing my progeny graduate, this is my husband Carrick he arranged for us to be here today" she says waving her hand at the man standing quietly by her side.

Her eyes fall to Christian and widen, "This isn't Christian surely?" she asks as she gapes at him with wide eyes.

I grin, "Yep this is my boy, although he has grown quite a bit since you last saw him" I say, as I wrap my arm around Christian.

Dr Trevelyan shakes her head, "I think that is the understatement of the year" she says. She crouches in front of him, "hello Christian, you don't remember me do you?" she says and Christian shakes his head and looks at her curiously.

She smiles kindly at him, "That's ok, I used to work with your mom at the hospital" she explains.

Christian nods in understanding. "I know who you are now, Mom talks about you a lot. You moved to Seattle, didn't you?" he says.

Dr Trevelyan nods "that's right I did" she says.

A few moments later I hear a shriek of joy, and I watch as Ella flies at Dr Trevelyan and hugs her tightly.

"GRACE!" she yells as she flings herself into the doctors open arms.

Dr Trevelyan laughs as she envelopes Ella in a warm hug. "Hello my darling, you didn't think I would miss today, did you?" she says kindly.

I watch as the two women chatter excitedly and catch up. I glance at Dr Trevelyan's husband. He is watching them with amusement and he glances at me, "I think we have been forgotten, shall we go and get some refreshments?" he says to me. I nod and reaching for Christian, I leave my wife to it.

**oooOOOooo**

_Three Years Later…_

"Hey baby how was your day?" I say as I hear Ella entering the room.

I watch as she kicks off her shoes and throws herself on to the sofa with a sigh.

"Long" she says, and I immediately know something is eating at her. I sit down beside her and pull her legs on to my lap and start to massage her feet. She closes her eyes and groans.

"Oh god, don't stop that feels so good" she says and I grin.

"What's happened?" I ask.

She shakes her head sadly. "There really are people out there who should never have kids" she says. I wince and realise she has been a witness to another child abuse case. That is confirmed for me when Christian strolls in and she holds open her arms and as he sits down beside her, she wraps him up in her arms and kisses him repeatedly. He looks at me knowingly, and lets his mother smother him with love and affection. He knows as well as I do, that she needs to do this.

When she has finished, she looks at him carefully. "How was school?" she asks and he shrugs.

"Usual" he replies.

My boy is twelve years old but he is so bright he has been fast tracked and is completing work for children who are a couple of years ahead of him.

"Have you done your homework?" I ask and Christian nods.

"Yep all done" he says contentedly.

Before Ella can say anything else, the house phone rings and Christian who is sitting closest reaches for it and answers it.

"Hello" he says and he waits and smiles, "Hi Aunty Tia… yeah she's right here" he says and holds out the phone. "Aunty Tia" he says unnecessarily.

Ella takes the phone with a grin, "Hi Tia" she says brightly but the smile fades as she listens and I feel her stiffen.

"Oh… I see, well thanks for telling me… well I don't think that would be appropriate… I'll think about it… ok… are you ok?... alright, well if you need any help just yell… ok Tia… alright…. Bye". She hangs up and stares at the phone for a moment.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Dad has died, it was sudden, unexpected… a heart attack" she says with no emotion whatsoever.

My first uncharitable thoughts are that how the hell did that happen when the man clearly had no heart, but I keep my thoughts to myself. There was never any reconciliation between Ella and her family. Her parents were notified when she graduated High school and when she graduated Uni but they never bothered to show up to either graduation. Since that day when she moved in with us back when she was sixteen, the only interaction she had with them was when her father called her to hurl abuse at her a couple of months after he found out that Tia had come to our wedding.

"Ok, so I am tempted to say, and? But… no hell I will say it, and?" I say.

Ella snorts, "I know that was my reaction too, Tia isn't too bothered either to be fair, the only reason she called me is because mom asked her to… apparently she wants to build bridges, starting with me going to his funeral".

I shake my head, "is she insane? This is the same woman who called you a whore and a hooker" I say coldly. I realise what I have said as Christian's eyes widen and then I see anger appear in them.

"Who said that? And why?" he asks.

Ella smiles at him and pats his hand, "My mom said that, when I found out I was having you she called me a whore and a hooker" she says sadly.

"But why?" he asks in obvious confusion.

Ella sighs, "Because your dad and I were very young and weren't married when I found out I was having you, they thought it was shameful. They did and said a lot of bad things at that time, that is why we have never really had anything to do with them" she says sadly.

Christian thinks about that, "So it's my fault?" he asks warily.

Ella shakes her head emphatically, "No it was not, don't you dare ever think that Christian Anthony Harper. My parents were narrow minded bigoted bullies and it was _me_ they blamed, in their eyes it was all my fault," she says harshly.

I lean forward, "And me" I say, "They tried to split us up and your mom ended up running away and she came to live with me and your grandma and granddad" I say.

Christian looks carefully at me, and then turns to Ella, "How old were you mom?" he asks.

Ella smiles sadly, "I was sixteen when I found out I was expecting you and your dad was seventeen. You were born and then when you were about 6/7 months old, I turned 18 and your dad and I married. The rest they say, is history" she says.

"Wow!" he says, "and yet you still graduated High School with good enough grades to get into Medical school and become a doctor… that's impressive mom" he says.

Ella squeezes my hand, "I had a lot of support and help, your dad was my rock and your grandparents and uncle Tony were invaluable to us, they gave your dad a job and us a place to live and they basically supported us while I worked my way through school" she says.

"How did you manage?" he asks.

"I had a full scholarship, there would've been no way I could've done it otherwise" she says.

"Wow" he says again.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

**(CHRISTIAN)**

_One week later…_

We are standing in a windswept cemetery. I look around at the people surrounding me and I am standing quietly with my mom and dad. I'm not making any comment, I'm just observing everything that is going on here today. My mom didn't want to come but dad sat and talked with her and persuaded her to. He said first and foremost she needed to go to make sure the old bastard was really dead, but I don't think I was meant to hear that. He had also said that if she didn't go, she was lowering herself to their level and the way they had behaved towards her for years. I don't understand what that means but I do know that my mothers' parents have been pretty nasty to her. My mom had argued back about that saying that she didn't care losing the moral high ground as they didn't deserve any respect.

I see my aunt and I look at her carefully. Aunty Tia doesn't look too upset, mom hasn't cried at all either; I know that if mom or dad died, I would cry and I'm not ashamed to admit it. If I am to be totally honest, Aunty Tia doesn't look too bothered at all by the fact her dad is dead, in fact her expression screams boredom as if she really doesn't want to be here and it makes me wonder exactly what kind of man my grandfather was. I never met him, but over the past week things have been coming out about him as my mom had stubbornly refused to come to his funeral, and I heard her on the phone to Aunty Tia, where she was telling her stuff which I had never heard before and it sounded terrible. At one point I heard her ask Aunty Tia if she had forgotten how he had reacted when she had gone to mom and dad's wedding and if she had forgotten what he had done at her graduation. I have no idea what she meant by that, as I don't know what had happened, but from what I have heard I'm guessing he must have done something really bad on those two occasions.

But today we are here as dad had finally persuaded mom to come, he had said it would give her closure and she had no argument to counter that point. He said he would come with her to support her and if her mom did anything, he would let her have it. That had made my mom smile, she had told him she was quite capable of telling her mom what she thought of her. Mom had said she didn't want me to go, but I told her that I wanted to, mainly out of curiosity as apart from Aunty Tia, I know nothing of mom's side of the family. But I also want to see the woman who called my mom a whore and a hooker. I want to look her in the eye and see what kind of person she really is to say that about her own daughter.

I told my mom, that I wanted to go to help support her as it was her family. She had cried when I said that and she'd hugged me tightly.

It has been quite uncomfortable and I am expecting something else to happen. When we first arrived Aunty Tia hugged mom, dad and me. But the older woman who was with her just stared at us all. I think about that awkward encounter earlier…

"_Ella, you came!" We all look round to see Aunty Tia walking swiftly towards us with her arms wide._

_My mom grins and hugs her tightly, "Hi, Tia" she says affectionately. _

_Aunty Tia then greets my dad and me equally affectionately and I hear her whisper a word of thanks in my dad's ear as she squeezes him. As she hugs me, I see an older woman walking up towards us, she is watching the interaction between us all closely and she doesn't look happy about it. As she glares at us all, she stiffens and I see her almost closing herself down. Aunty Tia pulls away from me and as she does so she sees my mom's reaction and turns to see what she is looking at._

_My dad also notices and he steps closer to my mom and she in turn wraps her arm protectively around me. The woman barely glances at mom as now she has got over watching us all greet each other, she has her eyes fixed solely on me._

"_Hello mom" my mom says coldly._

_I had assumed that this woman is my maternal grandmother, and my mother's words have confirmed that fact for me without me having to ask. The woman doesn't respond as she is just too busy glaring at me. I get the impression that she is trying to intimidate me but it isn't working. I am just getting the urge to laugh at her, but I don't do anything other than stare right back. I can do this all day lady, you won't win a staring contest with me! As I look at her and take her in, I see that she is nothing like my dad's mom. My gran has kind eyes and she always smiles and laughs. She is always ready to give out love and hugs. I feel nothing but coldness from this woman. She is ramrod stiff and closed off. Her whole demeanour is screaming disgust. Her lips are thin and pursed and there isn't an ounce of affection or warmth in her._

_Eventually she removes her gaze from me and I smirk, yep she looked away first! _

"_Hello Ella" she says coldly, "so you came then?" she adds. It doesn't escape me that she hasn't even acknowledged my father and my mom has also noticed this by what she says next._

"_I wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for Dan. I was adamant that I wasn't going to come, but Dan persuaded me to do so. So, having said that if you could find it in you to summon up a modicum of basic manners and politeness and acknowledge my husband's existence, that would be good," she says curtly, but also very sarcastically._

_I watch my dad lower his head and cover his mouth with his hand as he tries to hide the smile filling his face. Then I watch as the woman turns her attention back to me and she points at me._

"_What is he doing here?" she asks and I feel my mom grip me even tighter but before she can answer I hear myself speak to the woman, I'm not letting her have a go at my mom for my decision to be here._

"_I'm here to support my mom. She said I didn't have to come, but I wanted to so I insisted on attending. I wanted to because I love my mom and wanted to be there for her today. You see when people really love each other there are no conditions attached. My mom has been there for me all my life and I know without question she would always love me and support me no matter what I do and I know that she is always there for me… so I am being here for her, because I didn't want her to face the woman who called her a whore on her own. I also wanted to see for myself the woman who thought it was the right thing to do to call their own daughter names and behave in a cruel manner"._

"_Christian" my dad says, but I can tell by the tone of his voice he isn't really angry with me and the look on his face also gives away that he agrees with every word I have just said._

_My mom just grins and looks at her mother who is visibly stunned. "What he said!" she says simply and I feel her squeeze me tightly._

_The woman recovers quickly and glares at me, "she was given every opportunity to rectify the mistake she made and she refused to take it" she hisses._

_I glance up at my mom who is now furious and her eyes are flashing dangerously._

"_How dare you" she whispers and I see my dad grip my mom's arm. _

"_El" he says gently. _

_He always calls mom that when he wants to calm her down, he calls her that when she is upset or if she has had a bad day at work. But on this occasion, he wants her to calm down and not lose her temper and cause a scene._

_Mom looks at Aunty Tia who is staring at the woman in shock and disgust at what she said. I realised what she meant immediately. She wanted my mom to abort me, I've overheard enough in the past week to put it all together and when I had a pretty good idea how things had been for my mom I went to granddad and asked him if what I was assuming was right. He had been reluctant to tell me at first but when I had told him everything that had happened, he had recalled that night when mom had turned up at their house and everything that had happened then and in the months after that. He said that he was surprised that Ella's mom wanted to build bridges as she had been as vile as her father that night when mom had left. He had also said that he could understand why mom didn't want to go to the funeral. After hearing everything my granddad told me, I had made the decision there and then that if mom did decide to go to the funeral I would too. Now that I can see just how horrible this woman is, I can't understand why she wanted mom to come today. Unless it was just to try and hurt her again._

_I decide to find out and I turn towards the woman, "Tell me, why did you want my mom to come? After everything you did and said when mom left home and how you behaved afterwards, I'm surprised you had the bare faced cheek to ask. I know how you harassed her and dad in the street for months after she left home, until my granddad, great granddad and Uncle told you to stop. So, why do you really want her here today? Because from where I am standing you have no remorse for what you did, to me you just look like a bitter and twisted old woman who can't accept that she was wrong. You don't want to build bridges, from what you have just said, you just want to open up old wounds and cause even more trouble. You look like you want to hurt my mom even more and if that is the case then you should know me and my dad won't let you"._

_I pause and glance at my dad, "will we dad?" I ask and I see my dad smile proudly at me._

"_No son, we won't" he says simply and I hear the pride practically dripping from his words. My mom squeezes me again and I chance a look up at her and I am relieved to see she isn't angry with me. She smiles at me and I see the love and pride in her eyes as she looks at me._

_I return my attention to the woman who is allegedly my maternal grandmother and wait for her to respond. I see the anger fill her face and it contorts into something vile and ugly._

"_Are you going to let that speak to me like this?" she says to my mom as she points at me._

_That does it for my mom and she shrugs out of my dad's hold and steps right into her mother's face. I am pleased to note that the woman takes a step back, she is afraid and rightly so as my mom is furious right now._

_She pokes her finger into the woman's chest and gets right in her face as she responds, but she isn't shouting, her voice is oddly quiet but it is even more menacing for the lack of volume and with the complete icy cold control that she is exuding._

"_That! He is my son, he is my son and his name is Christian. Don't you fucking dare ever refer to my son in that way again you evil fucking witch!" _

_My eyes widen and my mouth drops open, I have never heard mom curse openly before. She is always so careful of her language around me and always has been. To hear her drop the f bomb not once but twice in the same sentence blows my mind. I also notice dad isn't stopping her this time, he is letting her say what she wants to say…_

My mind comes back to the here and now and it occurs to me why that woman wanted my mom here. There is nobody else here, apart from us it is just her and Aunty Tia. There is nobody, didn't my maternal grandfather have any family at all? I know my dad has a sister - Aunty Mel, and even though she lives a distance away and we don't see her much she always shows up for family occasions. So, I am pretty certain that she would show up to his funeral. My granddad also has a brother - Uncle Tony, and I know he would definitely show up if my granddad was sick or had died. So why? I wonder what the story is there.

After the confrontation, Aunty Tia had told her mother that this was the final straw and that after today she wanted no more to do with her. You could see the panic on the woman's face as she said that and I guess that she doesn't have anyone else now her husband is dead.

Aunty Tia came and hugged me tightly and apologised for her mothers' words and then she hugged my mom and said she was sorry for even asking her to come here today. I watch my mom and aunt now. I'm standing with my dad and he has one arm around me and his other hand is holding my mom's hand tightly. On mom's other side is Aunty Tia and she has her arm linked through mom's. We are all standing apart from their mother. I won't call that woman grandmother; she doesn't deserve that title she is simply a woman who gave birth to my mother.

The service comes to an end and my mom grabs some earth and hurls it into the open grave. "Rot in hell" she whispers quietly as the earth hits the coffin.

Aunty Tia throws some earth in but doesn't say a word. The look on her face says it all though, there is a look of utter contempt as she tosses the dirt in.

My mom and aunt look at each other and they both nod. It's as if an unspoken moment has passed between them.

My mom looks up at my dad and speaks quietly but firmly. "Come on let's go, I'm done here" she says, and my dad just nods.

As one we all turn and walk away, not acknowledging the woman standing alone by the graveside. The woman calls out to Aunty Tia but she ignores her, and I turn and glance at the woman who only now is starting to show any emotion.

As we walk away, I turn to my mom. "Didn't he have any other family?" I ask.

My mom looks at me in confusion and I elaborate on my question, "the reason I ask is, we were the only ones there, nobody else came to pay their respects" I say.

My mom smiles bitterly, "Oh, I see what you mean. Yes he had family, but like he did with us he had managed to systematically alienate everyone around him. He fell out with all his family and they didn't want to know him. They disowned him, pretty much what he did with me. But they disowned him for his disrespectful attitude towards them, he brought it on himself. The only one left who stood beside him was my mom, and that was because he had controlled and manipulated her and made her as bad as he was".

I nod, realising that I was right and that was probably the reason why that woman wanted my mom here so badly, because there was nobody else who wanted to pay their respects to a man who didn't deserve it.

I turn and glance at the solitary figure of my maternal grandmother again, she is totally alone now. Both her daughters have washed their hands of her, it's kind of sad that it should end this way, but I can only think that she brought it all on herself with her own attitude.

**oooOOOooo**

_Five Years Later…_

I stand with my High School diploma in my hand and beam at the sea of faces in front of me. I find my family amongst them and fix my gaze on them. I am not only graduating from High School with better grades than I could ever have dreamed of, but I'm also graduating a year early and I am also this year's Valedictorian. Let's just say my parents are supremely proud of me.

I grip my high school diploma tightly, I have some news for my parents which is going to blow them away, but will also probably break my mom's heart as it inevitably will mean me moving out and away from Detroit. I got a letter this morning, offering me a place at Harvard. Like my mom when she went to Michigan, it is a full scholarship. As I have graduated early and so spectacularly (even if I do say so myself), they were eager to offer me a place to study Business, which is my chosen career choice.

My dad, granddad and uncle have felt the benefit of my gift for business and understanding of mathematics when I completely overhauled their small painting and decorating business. The business was stumbling and they couldn't understand how. I had taken a look and seen straight away where the issues were. I showed them where they were losing money and how to maximise the profitable areas. They listened to me and are now reaping the rewards of that information as the business is stronger than ever. I know they had hoped I would join them in the family business when I had graduated from High school, but they quickly realised that I want to strike out on my own and make my own path. I am blessed that they are supporting me all the way, just like they supported my mom's dreams of becoming a doctor. She is an amazing woman, she is now a consultant paediatrician at the hospital, here in Detroit and she has been head hunted by many hospitals around the country. Dr Trevelyan has called her many times to join her at Seattle and I know my mom has been severely tempted at times, but up to now after discussing things with my dad she has always stayed put here in Detroit. I think now that I have graduated from High School and I am making my own way in the world, she won't be so quick to dismiss any potential offers she gets as she has done previously. I hope she will anyway, as I'm not so naive to realise that I was the main reason she didn't take up these offers from different hospitals, as she didn't want to uproot me from everything that was familiar and make me start again in a new place.

I have just given my Valedictorian speech and everyone is applauding. My mom has tears rolling down her cheeks and my dad is whooping like a madman. I look at my other family members present today to see me graduate. My grandparents are here; I always expected them to show up and watch me graduate as, like my parents, they have been there for me all my life. Uncle Tony, granddad's brother is here as well and so is Aunty Tia, mom's sister. My dad's sister couldn't make it but she sent me a card and a gift. She also sent a text wishing me luck this morning, and I know dad has filmed the ceremony on his phone for her so that she can see me make my speech. Needless to say, my mom's mother isn't here. We haven't heard a word from her since that confrontation at the cemetery. My mom kept her word that she was done with her, and so has my Aunty Tia. They have cut her from their lives and Aunty Tia has said that it was the best thing she ever did, as the toxic relationship she had with her mother and father until his death was bringing her down and she didn't realise just how bad it was until she experienced the unconditional love and affection from my dad's parents. My gran and granddad have practically adopted Aunty Tia! She now works at the family business. Since I helped them overhaul the business side, she was employed to take calls from potential customers and deal with the administration side of things as she has a flair for that whereas my dad, granddad and uncle… don't, to put it politely!

After what seems like an eternity, I am able to re-join my family. My dad has his camera as usual and it feels like millions of photos are being taken, with everyone eager to have their turn at getting a photo with me. Granddad quickly takes charge and gathers us all together for a group family picture and I laugh as he commandeers a passing member of staff to take the shot. The teacher looks startled but willingly complies with my grandfather's request. I think the fact I am valedictorian probably helped as I am fully aware that the school is milking my success. I have graduated with record grades _and_ I have graduated early; so it isn't lost on me that this success also makes them look good, and it doesn't take a genius to work out that they are naturally going to capitalise on that fact.

"Come here" my mom says and I feel her wrap her arms around me and smother me with kisses.

"Mom!" I say, but I'm not really bothered and she knows it as she totally ignores my protests.

"I'm so proud of you" she whispers in my ear and I feel a lump in my throat as I hear the profound love and pride in her voice.

"Thanks mom, I have some news too" I say and she pulls away from me and looks at me questioningly.

My dad heard what I said and he steps closer and is paying close attention to what I say next.

"I got a letter this morning…" I begin, and as soon as I say that my whole family gathers closer to hear what I have to say.

I fumble amongst my robes and fish the now crumpled letter out of my back pocket and hand it to my mom. She takes it from me and carefully opens it. I watch her closely and see the moment she realises what she is reading.

Her eyes widen and she shrieks loudly, before she flings herself at me. I catch her and she smothers me with even more kisses and tells me repeatedly how proud she is of me.

"What's going on El?" my dad asks, he is amused but also mystified at her reaction and is clearly keen to know what caused it. She pulls away from me and waves the letter at my dad.

"Harvard!" she splutters, "our boy has been offered a place at Harvard!" she says in a rush.

The chorus of gasps from my family show just how much of a big deal this is.

My dad snatches the letter and reads it, his eyes widening as he reads. "Fucking hell, I don't believe it" he whispers and then he lurches forward and pulls me into his arms.

"I am so proud of you, congratulations son!" he says hoarsely as he slaps me on the back.

I watch as the letter is passed around so everyone can read it and I inevitably get even more hugs, kisses and words of congratulations.

"We need to celebrate this!" my granddad says as he waves my letter in the air.


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHORS NOTE: I just want to reiterate how completely gobsmacked I am by the response to this story! I never expected the reaction it has received. I have had a number of messages asking if Christian is going to be different – personality wise in this story. The answer is yes and no. He obviously doesn't have the background of abuse, so there won't be the touch issues or the profound mood swings and irrational behaviour. I have tried to keep him different – yet the same. So he will still be completely protective of those he loves, which we have seen already when he was a child and stood up to his grandmother and protected his mother. He is still going to be the outgoing generous person who doesn't think twice about providing support for others and we are also going to see glimpses of the green-eyed monster from time to time. I hope that covers everyone's questions. I also would just like to say the fact his surname is Harper is deliberate, and the whole point of the story, as he **_**wasn't **_**adopted and he **_**wasn't**_** abused he stayed with his birth mother and father, but he still became an outstanding success even though he wasn't a Grey.**

**Please keep in mind this is a only a short story, and that it was only ever meant to be a one-shot which sort of expanded so I really hope that people's expectations will be met as I am trying to keep the whole idea of the story understated, casual and the things that happen almost fortuitous if you get what I mean, (which I hope you do!) Anyway less of me… enjoy!**

CHAPTER 4

_Four Years Later…_

As I stand here in my graduation robes, I am forcibly reminded of my mother's university graduation ceremony from Michigan University when I was a kid. The difference being she took eight long years to become a fully qualified doctor. I feel somewhat of a fraud having completed my degree in business in just three years instead of the recommended four. But I have completed it and as my mom and dad put it, I not only completed it, I smashed it!

I smile as I think about how they have been with me every step of the way throughout my journey through Harvard. I have never for one moment doubted their support. My mind flies back to the time I almost dropped out. After two years I had a major wobble, I just wanted to drop out as I was completely bored and I was becoming very disillusioned. The work was just too easy and I felt like I was coasting. I had called my parents and told them of my decision to drop out and the next thing I knew they were there at Harvard!

They had literally dropped everything, and used some of their hard-earned savings to come and support me and help me make the right decision for my future. My mom had been on a mission to stop me from doing something I would later regret, but she never once told me what to do or demanded that I stay. They had sat with me and listened to me and we had talked for hours as I had told them how bored I was and how I thought I could just make it without a college education on my own. Never once did they tell me I shouldn't do it, they treated me like an adult and we went through all the pros and cons, for and against dropping out. In the end they had said that they had made their feelings known but it was my decision. They told me that they hoped I would reconsider but my happiness was far more important to them so they would support me whatever my decision was.

My mom had even spoken to my tutor while they were there and she told him how unhappy I was which resulted in me being called to his office and having a sit down with him. I explained how easy I found everything and how bored I was as a result, he listened and he agreed that I was one of the more able students. We'd talked and he came up with an idea which had initially thrown me, but we agreed to see if completing the degree in three years instead of four would make any difference to my apathy. I had reluctantly agreed and much to my surprise it had been the right decision; it had given me more focus and injected a new enthusiasm for the work which I found so simple.

I will be forever grateful to my parents for taking that decision to fly out and for _not _talking me out of quitting, but for just listening to me and telling me that whatever I decided they would support me. I know my dad must have lost money not being at work and my mom must have pulled strings at the hospital to have been able to take time off at such short notice. I never doubt their love for me and the day I took my finals I made a silent vow that _when_ I become a successful businessman, the first thing I will do is replace all the money they spent and lost by making the decision to fly out to me and for making me see sense and stopping me from doing something I would regret.

My attention is drawn to my mother who is calling out to me. I look up and I see my entire family coming towards me. I grin as I see them, my mom, dad, Aunty Tia, Aunty Mel, granddad, gran and Uncle Tony are all here. The Harper family en-masse to watch me receive my degree.

When they reach me, they pounce and I am engulfed in hugs and kisses and despite my half-hearted protests I bask in the love and attention they are showering on me.

After the ceremony, we are all at a local restaurant celebrating when my dad clears his throat.

"If I could have everyone's attention" he says as he taps his glass.

The general hum of murmuring subsides and everyone fixes their attention on him. I watch as he glances at my mom and smiles at her. It never fails to get to me to see how much love they have for each other and I hope that one day I will find a woman who I can experience what they feel for each other. I have been with women and had relationships; I fully admit I have not lived like a monk whilst I've been at university. However, I have always treated women respectfully and I have always been aware of being careful to avoid any mishaps, but up to now all the relationships I have had have all been just superficial physical encounters and I am yet to meet anyone who I want to take that next step with.

I watch as my dad fixes his grey eyed gaze on me, I swallow hard as I see the familiar and unending pride and paternal love in his eyes as he begins to speak.

"So… we can all agree today is Christian's day and so I want to say how proud I am of you son. I have made no secret over the years that you and your mother are my world and words can't express how proud I am of the man you have become… and now you are all grown up and making your own way in the world". He pauses and then licks his lips, "…which leads me on to a bit of news which I want to share with you all today… I apologise if I am stealing your thunder son, but it seems like the best time to announce this, with all the family together in one place…" he pauses again and takes a sip of his wine.

"Ella has been offered a job at a hospital in Dallas, Texas… and it's a bit of a step up from what she is doing back home in Detroit and so we have talked it over and she has decided to accept it, so… we are moving to Texas".

The stunned silence spreads out around the table and I am the first to break it, "Congratulations mom, you deserve it" I say as I raise my glass to my mother.

My mom smiles gratefully at me as she looks anxiously at everyone else.

I take a deep breath and continue to speak, "Mom, I am really pleased for you. I know that you have turned down many fantastic job offers over the years and I'm pretty certain that you did that because of me when I was growing up, as you didn't want to uproot me while I was in school. I am happy that you now feel you are able to consider accepting them and I am certain you will smash it!"

My mom grins at me, "thank you Christian and just remember no matter where we are in the country, there will always be a place for you… never forget that" she says earnestly.

**oooOOOooo**

_Eighteen months later…_

I walk into the hospital, sighing with relief at the air-conditioned coolness and look around. I know my mother is somewhere around here, and I am hoping to take her to lunch.

The past eighteen months have been a complete whirlwind. After graduation I had wasted no time in applying for a bank loan to start my own company. I had a workable business plan with realistic goals and the bank manager was so impressed he authorised the loan pretty much straight away.

That had just been the start, I had used that money to create Harper Enterprise Holdings. My chosen business model was Mergers and Acquisitions. My plan was to take failing companies and buy them, if they can't be salvaged I break them up and sell off the pieces making me money in the process. I have successfully done this now three times, admittedly they have been fairly small companies but everyone has to start somewhere, and the profits I made by asset stripping and selling off the individual pieces were incredible. I have discovered that I seem to have the ability to read people well and know when they are bullshitting me. I have the advantage in every deal as they need the money as the companies I buy are failing, but I also adopt the view that there is no deal I am not willing to just walk away from.

It was during my first acquisition that I met Ros Bailey, a tenacious young woman who impressed me. She was frustrated that the company she was working for was going under due to the incompetence of the senior management. She had been outspoken and voiced her views on what should've been done to try and save the company. Her drive and intelligence not to mention her whole demeanour reminded me of my mother. I knew straight away that her experience in business would also be a huge advantage to me if only I could persuade her to join me.

I had wasted no time in offering her a position with me. I hadn't been too optimistic about my chances of her agreeing and if I am honest I was waiting for her to laugh me out of her office. I warned her that I was just a start-up company, with no real premises at present and I told her she would be taking a big pay cut if she chose to come and work with me. I laid out my vision and we just clicked, much to my surprise she took a chance on me and agreed to join me. She said she believed in me, and that she had a gut feeling about me. So much so she put an unbelievable offer to me, she wanted to be a partner and she wanted a stake in HEH _and_ she was prepared to put money into the company. I had immediately seen the potential in this and instantly agreed and we got everything on a legal footing. With the money she put into the business we got ourselves an office to work from, admittedly it was a small pokey office but it was ours. After that the business just took off. I had worked day and night to make a success of it and Ros had warned me not to overdo it and get burnt out. We had become a good team and more importantly we were making money – a lot of money!

My parents had moved to Dallas and my mom had taken up the post at the hospital. I am still based in Detroit for the time being, and this is the first time I have had chance to come out to Texas and visit my parents. I am here because I am closing a deal with a Dallas company which I am acquiring, so I thought I would surprise them while I was here.

I look around as I make my way through the hospital and I see a desk with a couple of nurses sitting chatting. As I walk up and smile at them, they both gasp at me. It is a reaction I get quite often. All though I say it myself I know I am pretty easy to look at and I have been told many times that I have a beautiful smile.

"Yes, can I help you" one nurse stammers as she looks at me.

I nod, "I hope so, I'm looking for Dr Harper's office" I say.

The nurse smiles, "Oh right, well you are in the right place as it's just over there. Do you have an appointment?" she looks a little puzzled and I realise it's because she is wondering why a grown man is in the paediatric department.

I smile again, "No, she's my mother and I was hoping to see her while I was here in Texas" I say.

"Oh, I see… right let me see if she has a patient with her" the nurse says and she taps on a computer in front of her and peers at the screen.

"She has a patient with her at the moment, but that is the last one of the morning. So, if you go through those doors there it will bring you to the waiting area for her office" the nurse explains as she points to the corridor.

I thank her and make my way through the open doorway and down a short corridor which opens out into a waiting area. I see my mother's office with her name on the door and I sit down so that as soon as she opens the door, she will see me.

After a few moments the door opens and a woman appears with a young girl. The girl must be only about fifteen years old and she has long brunette hair and the biggest blue eyes, she is beautiful. I take a sharp breath in and as I watch her, concern fills me. Her whole demeanour screams fear and unhappiness. She has a lost, sad look in her eyes and she is far too thin, but despite that she really is stunning. Those huge blue eyes just take my breath away but the sadness in them makes my heart ache. I literally can't take my eyes off her. She sees me looking at her and our gazes fix on each other briefly before she flushes and looks away, as she does so my heart lurches again and I unconsciously rub at my chest. She is fidgeting and looks anxious, her head is down but I see her surreptitiously move her eyes in my direction a couple of times. I smile at her and she offers me a small weak smile back. All my instincts are telling me that something is wrong and my attention shifts to the woman who is with her. The girl resembles her and I realise this must be her mother. But her whole demeanour screams indifference, there is no obvious maternal love there. In fact, the way she is behaving she is almost acting as if she doesn't care about this girl at all and can't bear to even look at her. She forcibly reminds me of my mom's mother, the way this woman is standing, behaving and reacting reminds me of that woman all those years ago in the cemetery.

"Come on Ana" the woman snaps as she stalks away and I watch as the girl hurries after her as they leave, she glances in my direction once more and my heart lurches again as our eyes briefly meet and she gives me another small weak but genuine smile.

I watch them go, unable to get that sad young girl out of my mind, but as they vanish out of sight I look towards my mother. I see that she has also watched them go, and she also has a concerned expression on her face and then she spots me. Her face immediately lights up and she opens her arms wide.

"CHRISTIAN!" she squeals and I stand and walk into her open arms.

"Hi mom, I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd drop by and take you to lunch" I say flippantly as my mother smothers me in kisses and hugs.

"Oh Christian, it is so good to see you, what are you doing in Texas? How are you? How's the business going? Are you looking after yourself? Are you eating properly and taking care of yourself?" the questions tumble out of her mouth as her hands roam over me as she physically checks me over.

"Mom!" I say and she pauses.

"I'm sorry, oh I'm just so pleased to see you" she says as she hugs me again.

"I was hoping to take you to lunch?" I ask and she nods.

"I was going to take my lunchbreak, I was meeting your father for lunch so this will be brilliant, he will be so pleased to see you, it's not the same talking on the telephone, I have missed you so much" she gushes.

"How is dad?" I ask.

I watch as the smile fades a little. "He's finding it difficult, there isn't the work for him and he is missing everyone back home in Detroit… In fact, I am beginning to wonder if this was a mistake, Texas is just so different" she says quietly.

I pay attention to what she is saying, "Everything is ok between you two isn't it?" I ask nervously and she smiles bravely at me.

"Of course it is, we have been through enough not to let something like this break us, but it wasn't everything I had hoped it would be either… I…" she stops as she sees a man in a suit walking towards her. I turn my attention to him wondering who he is.

"Ella do you have a moment?" the man asks and I see my mother stiffen.

"No Greg I'm sorry I don't. This is my son Christian and I am about to go to lunch with him" she says. She turns towards me, "Christian this is Dr Greg Nicholls".

I glance at the man and offer him a curt nod by way of greeting but I don't offer him my hand. I am too busy watching my mother's reaction to him. I see her take a step back from the man and look at him warily. I return my attention to him, and I see that the look on his face as he is looking at my mother isn't professional, he is practically leering at her. I feel my protective instincts kick in, this man is a sexual predator and he has set his sights on my mother. I wonder if this is the real reason why she isn't happy here in Texas.

The man looks at me, I am head and shoulders taller than him and he smiles nervously at me. "Oh… oh I see, well don't let me keep you" he says hurriedly.

"Come on Christian" my mom says as she practically drags me away.

"Mom, who was that man?" I ask.

"He… Greg Nicholls is the man who offered me the job here. Technically speaking he is my boss although on paper I am far more qualified than he is" she says.

"You're afraid of him" I say bluntly and my mother looks up at me in surprise, and then to my horror I see tears in her eyes.

"He's such a sleaze. I hate him, he gives me the creeps. He is always trying to get me on my own, trying to get close to me" she says sadly.

I feel my anger starting to rise, "has he touched you inappropriately?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"No, but I fear it will only be a matter of time before he tries something" she says.

"You need to tell dad" I say and she nods.

"I have done, and it took everything I had to stop him coming here and confronting him. We have decided that we are going to go home to Detroit but we just need to save the money to make the move but hopefully it shouldn't take us too long. I am on good money here, but with your father not working at the moment we are trying to save as much as we can".

I look at her carefully, "Let me help you mom" I say immediately.

My mom smiles and shakes her head. "No, you already gave us that money to replace what we spent when we came to you at Harvard – which I am still angry with you about. You need every dime to plough back into your company. Thank you for the thought, but no… we'll be fine" she says adamantly.

I think carefully, "Do you have enough to make the trip back to Detroit?" I ask and she nods.

"Well, in that case put your home up for sale, and leave… you won't be homeless you can stay with me or with Gran and granddad until your house sells and you can find somewhere to live back in Detroit" I say.

My mother smiles at me, her eyes shining with love. "Thank you" she says gratefully.

We leave the hospital and walk into a small diner where I see my father already sitting waiting. I look at him, he has a defeated look about him, it's disconcerting to see as it's not something I associate with my dad. As he looks up his face lights up as he sees me and he rises to his feet.

I take a moment to really look at him, he has a sad look in his eyes despite the fact he is obviously happy to see me.

"Christian! When did you get here?" he asks as he embraces me and slaps my back affectionately.

"Hi dad, I've just arrived. I thought it was time I came to see you both… mom has said it has been hard" I say carefully.

He sighs and nods, "it has, we have decided to go back to Detroit, Texas just isn't for us" he says with obvious regret.

My mom reaches for him and squeezes his hand as we all sit down.

"I just wish I'd taken Grace up on her offer to go to Seattle instead" my mom says sadly.

I look at her carefully as I remember Dr Trevelyan from when I was a kid.

"Did Dr Trevelyan reach out to you and offer you a job?" I ask.

My mom nods, "yes she did it was around the same time I got the offer from here and it seems I made the wrong choice".

Hearing her say this makes me think. "Why don't you reach out to her now, talk to her and see if she can come up with anything for you or if she knows of anything else that could be suitable for you. I remember how happy you were when you worked with her when you were training. I'm sure she would try and help you, if you told her you were unhappy here" I say.

I see a look of determination appear on her face and she looks at my dad, "What do you think Dan?" she asks.

My dad smiles and nods, "I think it's a great idea. I know you want to go home to Detroit, but I kind of feel that I don't really want to do that as it's almost like taking a backward step. Like admitting we failed, I much prefer the idea of starting afresh in Seattle if you could get something there" he says.

My mom nods enthusiastically, "also… don't forget Mel is located in Washington, so we at least would have _some_ family who we could turn to, and she could keep a look out for us for somewhere to live" she says.

"Whereabouts does Aunty Mel live now?" I ask. My dad's sister has always been somewhat of a nomad. She is difficult to keep up with as she moves so regularly.

My dad smiles, "she lives in Montesano, she has been there for about 3 years now. She seems to like the north west though; she has been in that area of the country for a number of years now".

My father turns his attention to the waitress who has appeared to take our food order and I turn to my mother, "get in touch with Dr Trevelyan and see if she can come up with a job for you and then call Aunty Mel and see if she can come up with any ideas about finding you somewhere to live".

She nods, "I will do… in fact…" she pauses and rummages for her phone. I watch as she takes a deep breath and makes the call.

I listen to the one-sided conversation as my mother explains to Dr Trevelyan about how Texas wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I feel my anger rising as she explains about that man who I saw earlier and how afraid she is of him. I hear that he uses his position to put obstacles in her way to stop her doing her job properly, and she admits that she believes that those obstacles would miraculously vanish if she would be prepared to do things with him. I glance at my father and see his hands ball into fists as he hears and he looks at me with his jaw tightly clenched. An unspoken thought passes between us and I know that if my mother can get out of that hospital my father and I will be paying Dr Greg Nicholls a visit. My mother falls silent as Dr Trevelyan is obviously replying and I see my mother smile. The look of relief on her face is evident and I know that Dr Trevelyan is going to help her.

"Thank you so much Grace, I will be forever in your debt if you could do that" my mom says gratefully and I know from that, that she has agreed to help. When she hangs up she looks at us, her eyes are shining with hope now that she can see a way out of the situation she is in.

"Grace has told me to hand my notice in today and get to Seattle as soon as we can. She also told me to make sure I put in an official complaint against Greg before I go".

I am relieved to hear this as the last thing I want is for my mother to fall victim to a sexual predator. My father also looks more hopeful, the defeated air about him is evaporating and he is now filled with a renewed sense of purpose.

We eat our lunch and the conversation is far lighter now. I watch as my dad calls Aunty Mel and asks her to keep her eyes open for somewhere to live in the North West around Seattle and explains the situation. When he comes off the phone, he tells us that Aunty Mel has offered to let them stay with her until they get themselves sorted out, and that seems to galvanise my mother to officially start the ball rolling to extract herself and my father from Texas.

When we have finished our lunch, I say my goodbyes to my father and escort my mother back to the hospital. My mother tells me over and over how she can't believe how quickly things have turned around and how much more positive she now feels, now that she can see a way out of the situation she is in. We see Greg Nicholls watching her as we enter the building. I hug my mother tightly and she gives me a hug and kiss.

"It was lovely seeing you again Christian, and I'm going to hand in my notice today. The sooner we can get away from here the better" she says with complete conviction.

I squeeze my mother, pleased to hear that and I say my goodbyes. As I go to leave, I notice Greg Nicholls hovering. He is pretending that he is doing something but he is simply loitering and waiting for me to leave. I turn and wave to my mother and she returns the wave with a genuine big bright smile before disappearing into her office and closing the door. I make it look like I am leaving and watch Nicholls as he makes a beeline for my mother's office as soon as he believes I have gone. I turn on my heel and swiftly make my way back. I wait outside the door and listen.

I hear Nicholls talking about me, I hear him say that my mother looks too young to have a son my age. I hear my mother asking him what he wants as she needs to prepare for her afternoon clinic. What I hear next makes my anger rise.

"Come on Ella… you know what I want from you" Nicholls says.

"Greg, I think you need to leave my office right now" I hear my mother say.

"Stop being such a prick tease, I know you want me" he says and that does it for me.

I open the door to find my mother being crowded by Nicholls. I stride in and grab the man as he reaches for her.

"Get your fucking hands off my mother" I snarl as I yank him away from her.

"It's not what it looks like" he blusters as he tries to extract himself from my grasp.

I turn him and throw him against the wall as I grip the front of his suit and pin him there.

"Not what it looks like? So, what is it like then? Enlighten me, explain to me what I have got so wrong as I don't think there is any doubt as to your intentions, especially when I heard you call my mother a prick tease and I also heard you telling her that you know she wants you. I walk in here and find you cornering her in her own office and the way she was pushing you away from her tells me she wanted you nowhere near her, so explain to me exactly what part of all that I have misunderstood?!"

The commotion I am making has the desired effect and numerous members of staff come running in. They take one look at the situation unfolding and I note that a couple of the female members of staff give Nicholls a venomous look to which I wonder who else he has tried it on with.

I turn to one of the women, "I wish to make an official complaint as I walked in to discover this man sexually harassing my mother" I say coldly.

There is a flurry of activity and a few moments later a number of hospital executives have arrived and are taking details.

I give them a detailed statement of everything I heard and saw and I watch as my mother sits and sings like a canary and tells of everything this man has done since she joined the hospital.

Nicholls stands looking more and more uncomfortable the more my mother talks, offering only half hearted denials. I keep my eyes fixed on him. When my mother has finished, she stands and tells the executives that she is handing in her notice and that they will have it in writing within the hour. They are surprised by her announcement and hurriedly try to persuade her to stay. I smile as my mother simply shakes her head and tells them that her decision is made.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

_Four years later…_

'SEATTLE WHIZZKID TAKES BUSINESS WORLD BY STORM!'

I am sitting in a small café in Portland and I am looking at the headline on the newspaper in front of me and I smile. A lot has happened in the past four years and my life has changed dramatically and beyond recognition as a result.

My mother is now happily ensconced in her job at the big Seattle hospital and has been for a considerable time. She is working with her old mentor Grace Trevelyan and she is incredibly happy there. Many times, she has said she wonders why she didn't do it sooner. Greg Nicholls was dismissed from the Dallas hospital for misconduct. I was furious when it came out that the hospital were aware of what he was like and yet effectively turned a blind eye to him, that was until my mother and I kicked up the fuss we did and they could ignore it no longer. I have no idea where he is or what he is doing now, but I am certain he would find it difficult to find work anywhere in the state of Texas after the shockingly large amount of women who, emboldened by my mother's stance came forward to say how he had also behaved inappropriately towards them and how public the entire matter became.

My business has gone from strength to strength and from those humble beginnings in that pokey office in Detroit I have now relocated to Seattle, to be closer to my parents. Ros is still with me and was happy with the move as she had met a woman who lived in Seattle and she was eager to take their relationship to the next level. I am now officially a multi-millionaire in my own right and I am on track to move into billionaire territory, if things progress as they are doing at present. The meteoric rise that I have had in the business world has caused a stir and ruffled feathers; mainly due to my age, but I am now a familiar name and face in the world of Mergers and Acquisitions. The bank loan I took out to start my own company was repaid within the year and the investment Ros made has paid dividends for her as we have prospered. We are both very wealthy now and Ros often comments on what a brilliant decision she made that day when she agreed to take a chance on a young upstart who believed he could take on the world.

I have used a small proportion of my growing wealth to bring all my family back together. I helped my grandparents, Uncle Tony and Aunty Tia relocate to Seattle to be closer to my mom and dad, and I bought them all a home. Aunty Mel is also here but she is still living in Montesano and didn't want to move to Seattle, so I paid the mortgage she had on the house she was living in. I also helped my family relaunch their own business here in the North West. I invested heavily in the painting and decorating business to help them get it back up and running and it is now flourishing as it did back in Detroit. Instead of my family repaying the money I put in, we agreed I would become a silent partner instead. So somewhat ironically, I am now a part of the family business. My dad is much happier now and along with working alongside my grandfather and uncle once more he also helps out a guy who befriended my parents when they first moved to Montesano. The man, Ray Steele is a master carpenter and he makes bespoke items for customers. My dad had helped him out by getting him some specialist varnish which my grandfather swears by and which they use in their painting and decorating business. Ray was so impressed with his knowledge of wood he asked him to help him out for pieces which customers wanted staining, varnishing or painting.

As their friendship grew, my dad had also told him about me. I know my parents are proud of me and what I have achieved and they are always more than willing to share that pride with others. He had told Ray how I was a successful businessman and he told him how I had transformed the family decorating business with my financial knowhow when I was just a teenager, and how I had helped them relocate it to Seattle and get it up and running again. He had raved about me so much that Ray had asked him if I would cast my eye over his own business to see if any improvements could be made. Ray had let me go through his business records, and while I couldn't fault anything he was doing I offered him small pointers here and there where he could save money and increase his profits. He listened and his already profitable little business got even better.

The biggest thing in my life though is Ray's daughter Ana. I recognised her as soon as I saw her. I will never forget the day my life changed forever about a year ago when I went with my father to Ray's home for the first time…

"_You'll like Ray, he's a good man, ex-military. He is a master craftsman and he knows all there is to know about turning a chunk of wood into something beautiful" my dad says as we drive over to Ray's house._

"_Ok, and you are sure he's happy for me to go through his business records?" I ask warily as I really don't want to look as though I am pushing my nose in where is isn't really wanted. I am also wondering what on earth my dad has been saying about me._

_My dad nods, "I told him all about you, and what you did for the family business when you were just a kid"._

_I scoff at his words and shake my head but he glares at me._

"_Christian you were, you were still at High School. I will never forget that time, your granddad and I just couldn't work out where we were going wrong, you took one look at the books and showed us exactly where the problem was, we fixed it and we didn't look back"._

"_It was nothing" I say with a shrug and my dad frowns._

"_No Christian it's not nothing, and let's not forget to mention how you helped us relocate it here in Seattle and get it up and running and profitable again. So having said all that he is happy for you to take a look and see if there can be any improvements which can be made to his business. He was the one who suggested it, but I can tell you right now he runs a tight ship" he says._

_We pull off the main road on to a side road and eventually my dad slows and turns into a driveway of a modest little house. I look around and I can't help but feel a sense of deja-vous as I look around this quiet little street. As the car stops my dad points to a small house just down the street._

"_You see that house down there… the one with the blue front door?" I lean forward and look towards where my father is pointing and I pick out the house. Another feeling of familiarity hits me and I look around and its only then I realise where I am._

"_That's the house you lived in when you and mom first moved to the North West, after you moved out of Aunty Mel's place" I say and my dad nods and smiles._

"_It is" he says as he gazes at the house._

_I had bought all my family a home each, located just outside Seattle when it had been decided to relocate everyone else and the family business here. I hesitate as I see the obvious affection with which my father looks at the little house._

"_Do you regret moving away from here?" I ask warily, as I remember how my Aunty Mel refused to move as she wanted to stay in Montesano._

_My dad turns to me and smiles as he shakes his head. "No son, it was a lovely thing you did for us when you bought us the house in Seattle, and we are only just over an hour away from Ray so it's no big deal when we want to hang out. Plus, it made sense for us all to be in the same area when everyone else moved out here and the business is located in Seattle" he says._

_We get out of the car and walk to Ray's house; the door opens before we have even reached it and a tall man smiles at my dad._

"_Hello Dan, how's it going?" he says as he holds out his hand to my dad before fixing his steady gaze on me._

"_Hi Ray, I'm good… this is my boy, Christian. Christian this is Ray Steele" my dad says as he introduces us._

_Ray shakes my hand warmly and steps aside and gestures into the house as he invites us in._

"_Pleased to meet you son, your dad speaks very highly of you" Ray says politely._

_I get the impression he is a man of few words, no unnecessary gestures or talking. I immediately like him as he seems like an honest straightforward man._

_We make our way into the small sitting room and I see numerous books piled up on the table. I sit down at the table and Ray sits beside me._

"_My whole business is in these books so everything you need to know is in here" he says as he places his hand on top of the pile of books._

_I nod and open the books and as I make my way through them, I honestly can't fault them. Everything is straightforward and clear._

"_This is amazing… some of the companies I have stepped in to take over could take a leaf out of your book. Had they had company records like this not one of them would have been in the position they were in when I had to step in. I cannot fault this" I say as I go through the books._

_Ray laughs, "I'm certain my little one-man band is nothing like what you normally deal with" he scoffs._

_I shake my head, "No maybe not, but business is business and if the companies I have dealt with had records as comprehensive and clear as this they wouldn't have gotten into the difficulties they did, it's all relative I know, but the principle is the same no matter what scale you are working on"._

_Ray shrugs but doesn't say anything. I carry on and I know that I can't really offer him anything to make any significant improvements, only a few superficial things here and there._

_A short while later I have seen everything and I close the last book with a sigh. "Well, I have to say that was a real pleasure" I say and Ray smiles happily at me._

_He is about to reply when I hear the front door open and a female voice calls out._

"_DAD! Whose is that car in the driveway?" _

_Ray's face breaks into a grin and he looks at me, "Sorry that's my Annie, she's at university in Portland at the moment, she has obviously stopped by to visit me" he explains._

_He stands up and calls out. "It's my friend Dan, and he has brought his son to visit me"._

_I turn as I see a young stunningly beautiful brunette woman… she looks familiar and with a jolt I realise who she is as my mind flies back to that waiting room in Texas a few years earlier._

"_You!" I gasp._

_At first, she looks slightly startled at my exclamation and then she looks at me carefully as she moves closer to come into the room. As she does so she trips and falls headfirst through the doorway. I rush forward to help her to her feet and as she looks up at me, I feel my heart lurch. Her eyes, I had never forgotten those eyes. So big, so blue… so beautiful._

_She stares at me as she tries to place me, "you look familiar… I know you from somewhere?" she says quietly._

_I smile at her, "You do, only very briefly though and we never spoke. It was in Dallas, Texas… about three or four years ago. My mother was working at a hospital there and I saw you. You were with a woman and you were coming out of her office at the hospital, I was sitting outside waiting for her" I say._

_I help the girl to her feet and she looks hard at me as she tries to remember and I see the moment she does._

"_Dr Harper… You were that man sitting waiting outside her office when we came out" she says._

_I nod and smile at her._

"_You looked at me and smiled at me as we came out and I thought at the time what kind eyes you had" she says and she flushes as she says this. _

"_Well thank you, and may I say you look well, far better than you did that day" I say. I can see she has gained weight and she looks far happier than she did back then._

_I see her face drop slightly and she glances at Ray before she answers, "Well… yes, I am much better now. Now that I live with my dad" she says cryptically._

_Ray is watching and listening to our interaction and he quickly steps in. "So, you saw Annie in Texas?" he asks and I nod._

"_That's right, I was in Texas on business and so while I was there, I went to the hospital to visit with my mother and take her out to lunch and your daughter was just leaving… she was with an older woman" I say._

"_Carla" Ray spits and I am surprised by the amount of bile as he says that word._

_I see the girl nod, "yes, that was my mom" she says sadly._

_I realise immediately that there is a story there but it's none of my business. "So, you are Annie?" I say and the girl smiles and lets out a small laugh._

"_Only dad calls me Annie. My full name is Anastasia, but I prefer Ana" she says with a grin._

_My heart stutters at the beautiful smile and I realise I am still holding her hand._

"_Well Ana, I'm Christian and I'm very pleased to meet you. Your dad says you are at Portland at university, what are you studying?" I ask._

_Ana smiles again, "English Literature" she replies shyly._

"_Wow, so what are your career plans after you graduate?" I ask._

"_Publishing, I would love to go into publishing and possibly end up being an editor" she says and I see her eyes shine as she talks about this, and then she flushes again almost as if she is embarrassed._

"_Well I really hope you achieve your goals, when do you graduate?" I ask._

"_Next year, I have one more year to go" she says…_

I am brought back to the here and now and the small café I am sitting in. I smile as I can't believe that first encounter was a year ago and we are now rapidly coming up to Ana's graduation. I look at the apartment block across the road in front of me, where Ana lives. She has no idea I am in Portland at the moment and I am hoping to surprise her.

In the beginning it had been relatively easy to find out the information from Ray about where Ana lives, and I admit that I had used it to get close to her. I engineered a few random meetings and I took it from there. Over the past year we have become friends – good friends and I am taking things slowly with her as I always feel there is something which seems to make her hold back. I know that I have developed strong feelings for her but we seem to be forever stuck at the friend stage and have been ever since that first moment we officially met at Ray's house. I have fallen in love with her, I'm just not sure what she feels for me and I don't want to frighten her off by coming on too strong but I want more with her. I want everything, the whole nine yards, marriage and kids. I see us growing old together – she is the one. I really hope she feels the same way about me, but I'm not about to confess to her how I feel as I don't want to ruin what we have, and I will take her whatever way I can have her.

I know that Ana lives with a roommate, a fellow student - a girl called Kate. Ana herself had given me that information on one of our mini dates as we got to know each other. I take a sip of the coffee I am drinking and my attention once again turns to the newspaper in front of me and I smile once more at the headline. The story is accurate, I _am_ taking the business world by storm. In fact, I am also quite surprised as to just how successful I have been and how wealthy and influential I have become in such a short amount of time.

It is true what they say that money is power, but I remember something my mom said to me when I told her how people listened to me and how much influence I seemed to have. She had looked at me seriously and told me never to forget where I came from and what I did with that influence and power would show the world what kind of person I was. She had said no more and it is something that has always resonated with me that with wealth, power and influence comes responsibility.

I look back out across the road and I see her, I choke a little on my coffee and then quickly throw it back. I abandon the newspaper and throw a handful of bank notes on the table before I rise and leave the café.

"Ana!" I call and the girl turns in surprise.

She recognises me and smiles brightly, "Oh hi Christian, how are you?" she asks.

"All the better for seeing you" I reply as I give her one of my brightest smiles and then I lean down and press a friendly kiss to her cheek.

She laughs at me, "Flattery will get you nowhere mister!" she says as she reaches out and gives me a little shove.

I laugh as I reach for her, "Are you going to invite me in?" I ask as I nod towards the apartment.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, but I can't help but notice she has avoided my question.

"Let's go inside and I'll tell you!" I say as I pull her towards the apartment.

"I would but…" she hesitates and I see she looks uncomfortable and I immediately stop.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I have left because Kate is up there… with someone" she says and then she flushes slightly.

"Aah I see" I say as I understand immediately what the issue is here.

"Kate is seeing this guy" she explains.

I nod and reach for her hand, "Well why don't you come with me? I'm sure we can think of something to do" I say hopefully.

Ana looks at me warily. "Ok, but I need to study, I'm coming up to my finals that's why I have left. It was distracting up there. I was going to go back to campus and work for a while in the library" she says as she glances at her watch.

"I figured I'd get a couple of hours study in before I have to go to work" she adds.

"Work?" I ask, slightly disappointed that I won't be able to spend too much time with her. I am impressed though as Ray had told me Ana is funding her college education by working at a hardware store although I have secretly paid off a large chunk of her student loans.

"Yes, work at Claytons… don't you remember?" she says a little sarcastically.

I grin at her and her smart mouth, I love it when she fires back at me. I quickly think, "Ok… well if you like you can come back to my hotel room, I am staying in Portland at the moment and my room has a place you can use if you want to. It will be quiet and nobody will disturb you, then when you're ready I can take you to work… if you want to?" I ask.

Ana beams at me, "Thank you Christian, that would be wonderful… you don't mind, do you?" she asks and I shake my head.

"Not at all" I say. Ana has been to my apartment a few times now in Seattle and I love having her there. I have my name down for the new Escala complex which is being developed in the city and I am hoping to move there when it is done, but at the moment I am here in Portland finalising a business deal.

When we arrive at the hotel Ana takes herself off to study and I watch her go. As I watch her go, I worry she is too young for me. After all she is only 21 years old and I am nearly 28, but there is something which calls to me on some level that I have never felt before with any other woman I have been with. I love spending time with Ana, I just love being with her.

All too soon our time comes to an end, I read her essay on the works of Thomas Hardy. She asked me to proofread it and I had agreed. I was astonished at her level of understanding.

"Well?" she asks me warily as I finish reading it.

"This is brilliant" I say as I hand it back to her.

"Thanks, but is it ok… no typo's?" she says and I shake my head.

"No, no typo's" I reply with a grin.

Once again I wonder what makes Ana so unsure of herself. She is such a beautiful bright woman, a fact I tell her on a regular basis. Ray is also a good father as far as I can see so I can't understand why she is so insecure with herself.

"What is it that makes you so unsure of yourself?" I ask, the words moving from my mind to my mouth before I can stop them.

Ana freezes and smiles uncomfortably. "I have no idea what you mean" she says hastily.

I stand and move towards her, "I think you do" I reply. I pull her into my arms. "Ana, we have been friends for over a year so surely you know by now how I feel about you?" I say carefully.

She looks up at me in surprise, and I realise the thought had never crossed her mind. "What do you mean?" she asks.

I smile at her; ok this is it just tell her how you feel… "Ana… I like you; I mean really like you. You are the first person I think of when I wake up in a morning and the last person I think of before I go to sleep at night…" I pause and run my hand through her hair, pushing it back off of her face. "You are a breathtakingly beautiful woman. You are intelligent, you are the smartest person I know and when it comes to books you blow me away with your knowledge. You have captivated me Ana… I think… no I know…I…I've… I'm falling in love with you" I say and then I pause as I watch her eyes widen in disbelief.

She shakes her head, "No… don't be silly, you can't love me" she gasps.

"I can and I do" I say, "why would you say that Ana? What makes you think it is so unbelievable that I could love you?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "seriously Christian you really have to ask that? It's obvious, I mean look at you. You are jaw droppingly handsome, you are a successful businessman and you are wealthy and getting richer by the day. That is if the articles in the papers and online are to be believed… and then there's… me" she says.

I frown at that, "Ana, there is nothing wrong with you, you are beautiful. Your gorgeous long brunette hair, your pale skin and big blue eyes, you are stunning. Your body is… wow, you have no idea what your body does to me every time I look at you". I pause as I feel myself getting hard at just the thought. "But it's more than that, you are beautiful on the inside. You are kind, compassionate and one of the nicest people I have ever met and that inner beauty just radiates from you. You are smart, you are so intelligent which is hugely attractive to me… do I need to go on?" I say as I stop speaking and Ana is just staring at me with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide.

"Christian… I…" she begins and then stops.

I smile sadly at her, and I just hope I haven't screwed up our friendship by everything I have just said. "It's fine, you obviously don't think about me the same way I do you. Just forget I said anything and I hope my little confession hasn't spoilt our friendship. Come on, let me take you to work" I say as I turn to walk away.

As I do so I feel her hand on my arm, "Christian… wait" she says and I turn and look at her hopefully.

"I have feelings for you too" she whispers almost too quietly; I feel my heart lurch as she says it and I move closer to her.

"You do?" I ask hopefully.

She looks up at me and nods. "Yeah, I just didn't say anything because I figured that I was way out of your league and I didn't want to make myself look stupid and I didn't want to lose you as a friend… because I look upon you as… as my best friend" she says.

I reach out and pull her into my arms. "Never going to happen baby" I say adamantly.

I feel her arms go hesitantly around me, "Did you know that I felt something that very first time I saw you… back in Texas. I saw you and I just felt something when you looked at me, the compassion in your eyes that day, and when you smiled at me… it affected me and I couldn't stop thinking about the handsome stranger who I had seen for weeks afterwards. Then that day when I showed up at dad's house and you were there, I was so surprised that it was you and you were right there… I think that's why I had a brain to leg malfunction and ended up tripping and falling head first into the room. Not the best way to make an impression" she says with a rueful grin.

I laugh as I hold her tightly, "not at all, and to be fair I was just as surprised as you were".

There is a brief silence and then Ana speaks again. "I can't quite believe this is happening, things like this don't happen to me" she whispers as she buries her head into my chest.

"Believe it baby" I reply and I press a small kiss to the top of her head.

After another moments silence, I feel her start to pull away and I hear her as she sighs. I look down wondering what the problem is. As she meets my gaze, I look at her questioningly.

"I need to go to work" she says sadly and I smile at her.

"No problem baby, I'll take you" I say and I reluctantly let her pull away from me.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

We pull up outside Clayton's hardware store and I reach for her hand. "So… we are official then?" I ask warily and Ana grins at me.

"Officially what?" she asks.

"A couple" I say, "you are my girlfriend and we love each other?" I hold my breath waiting for her response.

I watch as she smiles shyly and gives me a small nod. "Yes, we are official" she replies and with that I don't hesitate. I lean towards her and cupping her face in my hands I kiss her soundly. I close my eyes at the touch of her soft lips pressed to mine, and I lose myself in the moment. She gasps as I tentatively touch her tongue with mine and then she responds to it. Eventually she pulls away and we are both gasping for breath, I look at Ana and her eyes are shining brightly and I'm pretty certain mine probably are too.

"Wow" she whispers quietly.

I don't want this moment to end and I really don't want her to go so I climb out of the car and escort her into the store. As soon as we step inside, a young blond-haired man looks up and beams at Ana, but that smile fades as he sees me and more importantly by the fact, I am holding her hand. His eyes fix on our joined hands and an ugly scowl fills his face, which he quickly tries to hide and as I glare at him he forces his face into a fake smile which looks more like a grimace.

I also notice Ana's reaction to him. She stiffened and I distinctly heard her say 'oh shit' when she saw him, I take a good look at her and I realise she is afraid of him, what has he done to her?

"Ana? What is it baby?" I ask. She turns and she wraps her arms around my neck pulling me towards her. As I bend and kiss her again, she whispers in my ear.

"That is Paul Clayton, his dad owns this place. I don't like him… he won't leave me alone, he is always bugging me to go on a date with him".

I frown at her words, "has he touched you inappropriately or harassed you or said anything inappropriate to you?" I ask and I am relieved when Ana shakes her head.

"No, nothing like that but I do try and make sure I'm never in a position where I am alone with him. He's just annoying, I have told him no so many times and in so many different ways that I do wonder what part of no he doesn't understand" she explains.

As she says this a feeling of protective anger surges through me and I wrap my arm around her. I am also forcibly reminded of what my mom had to endure with Greg Nicholls and I don't want that for Ana.

"Introduce us baby, and let him know exactly who I am to you" I murmur.

Ana nods and we move closer to the desk. The overly bright fake smile Clayton had on his face is now a frown and he gives Ana a filthy look which I don't fail to miss.

"Hi Paul this is Christian, he is my boyfriend. Christian this is Paul Clayton and his dad owns this place," Ana says brightly.

To his credit Clayton holds out his hand towards me, "I didn't know Ana was seeing anyone" he states rather haughtily and I can't help myself. I squeeze his hand hard as I accept the handshake and I feel a sense of satisfaction when he winces.

"Why should you? Ana's personal life is none of your business," I retort. I see the anger flash in his eyes as I say this but I ignore him. I let go of his hand and return my attention to Ana, pulling her close and kissing her again.

"I'll see you later baby, I'll pick you up when you're done" I say and Ana looks momentarily surprised but she nods and accepts that.

As I turn to walk away, I hear Clayton bark an order at Ana in an unprofessionally nasty manner, and follow it up with a rather rude and personal remark. My head swivels back towards him and I see the look of shock on Ana's face, she clearly wasn't expecting that. Thankfully it appears someone else heard him as an older man walks towards us looking concerned.

"Paul what the hell are you doing? That was rude! What has got into you? You know you don't speak to people like that, now apologise to Ana immediately".

I take a step closer to the cash desk where Ana is looking totally mortified and I wrap my arm around her.

"Are you ok baby?" I ask gently and she nods but I can tell this has upset her.

The older man looks up at me and I hold out my hand, "Christian Harper, I'm Ana's boyfriend and I have to say I agree with you, there was no need for that attitude as Ana did nothing to deserve it and it was also very unprofessional for him to behave like that on the shop floor in front of customers. It doesn't give your store a good image, if customers hear it's staff being mistreated" I say.

"Christian" Ana whispers nervously, and she touches my arm.

But before I can respond Clayton glares at me, "You're not a customer though" he retorts rudely and the older man's mouth drops open in shock, before he turns to me and starts apologising profusely.

I smile at Clayton and lean towards him. "No, you're right I'm not. I'm Ana's boyfriend and she has told me how you have been repeatedly harassing her, when she has made it clear to you that she is not interested in you. I suggest you look up the definition of the word no, because if you continue with your actions you will find yourself in serious trouble. Am I making myself clear?"

"Christian… please" Ana whispers nervously and I turn towards her and smile.

"It's ok baby, if they victimise you because of what I have said they will find themselves dealing with my attorneys" I say as I give her a reassuring smile.

I watch as Clayton blanches, and the older man is now apologising profusely on his son's behalf and assuring me that he will deal with the matter and that Ana is completely safe.

I nod and turn my attention to Ana, "are you happy for me to go baby?" I ask and she nods at me.

I smile at her reassuringly, "Ok, I'll be outside waiting for you when you finish your shift". With that, I plant one more kiss on her lips, before I turn on my heel and leave the store.

**oooOOOooo**

I keep my promise and when Ana's shift comes to an end, I am waiting outside for her. I am leaning against my car with my arms folded and my heart lurches as I see her appear.

"Hey baby" I say as she walks up to me. I wrap my arms around her and press a kiss to her temple.

"Hi" she replies and wraps her arms around my waist. "Thank you for what you did today, it's been nice to be able to work my shift without having to fend off Paul every five minutes. He has totally ignored me since you had a go at him, and he got a dressing down from his dad. Apparently, he had previously noticed how he had been bugging me to go on a date with him and he put two and two together that his attitude towards me tonight was down to sour grapes because of you. He told him that he couldn't dictate who I was seeing in my private life and that it was unprofessional for him to behave like a spoilt child because I obviously didn't see him the same way he saw me and that I wasn't interested in him, and he told him that did he realise that I was within my rights to file harassment charges. He also told him that did he realise who you were and that if you decided to get involved on my behalf it would end really badly, he told him he had raised him better than that and that when a girl makes it clear she isn't interested he shouldn't keep bugging her… and he said he was ashamed of him".

I smile at this, "Good, now tell me how do you know all this?" I ask.

Ana flushes slightly, "Well… they were out the back, and I may have gone out the back to use the bathroom… and I may have taken longer than necessary to listen to what was being said" she says hesitantly.

I throw my head back and laugh loudly, "Ana, you were eavesdropping!" I tease and she scowls at me.

"Just take me home Christian" she says as she pulls away from me.

I hold her tighter and pull her back towards me, "I'm sorry baby, I'm only teasing you. It's just you are so embarrassed for doing something anyone would've done in those circumstances" I say, and as I hold her, I feel her relax in my arms and a small reluctant smile pulls at her lips.

The drive back to her apartment is good natured and we chat about nothing in particular. I do notice that as we get closer to her apartment the quieter she gets and I wonder what the problem is.

"Are you ok?" I ask as I pull up outside.

Ana sighs and looks at me. "I don't want to go in there" she whispers.

"Why?" I ask.

"He's still here" she says as she points at a particular car parked outside the apartment block.

"Who?" I ask.

"The guy Kate is seeing… he's not a nice person and although I love Kate to bits, she just can't see that he is only using her for sex, although having said that I'm pretty sure she is using him just as much" Ana pauses and looks down at her fingers and she shuffles uncomfortably.

"Come back with me and stay the night with me then" I say before I stop and really think about it.

Ana's head whips up and she stares at me wide eyed with surprise at my offer.

"I…" she begins and I reach for her hand.

"Ana, you are uncomfortable in your apartment, you don't feel safe. You didn't feel comfortable at work and I fixed it for you now I am fixing this. It is my place as your boyfriend to make sure you always feel safe and unthreatened, so I am asking you to stay with me, where you can be confident that you will be completely safe" I say.

I watch as her eyes soften and she smiles at me gratefully.

"Thank you… I'd like that" she says nervously. Then she glances up at the apartment block. "Would you come in with me, so I can grab a few things?" she asks and I nod adamantly, I was going to offer to do that anyway, as I was certain she would want to go inside and get some things to bring with her.

As we enter the apartment, we hear moaning and grunting coming from Kate's room along with a rhythmic thumping of a headboard against a wall, leaving no confusion as to what is happening in there. Ana flushes and quickly runs into her own bedroom. I watch her go and after a moment's hesitation I follow her.

As I open the bedroom door, I see her with a small duffle bag, quickly stuffing some toiletries and clothes inside.

"Can I help?" I ask and Ana shakes her head.

"No, I'm fine I have everything I need" she says as she picks up the bag.

I immediately stride over and take the bag from her hands and she smiles gratefully at me. I hold out my hand and I get a small thrill as she doesn't hesitate and slips her small hand into mine.

As we are leaving her room Kate's door opens and a dishevelled man steps out and pauses as he sees us, he glances at me before his gaze falls on Ana and he leers at her.

"Hello Ana, I wondered where you were tonight, wanna come and join in?" he says.

I take a menacing step forward but Ana pulls me back towards her, "Christian don't, he's not worth it" she whispers.

The man hears her comment and scowls before abruptly turning and going back into Kate's room without another word.

We arrive back at the hotel and Ana sets down her bag and looks around the room. I watch her and I can see she is overthinking this and so I try and reassure her.

"Don't over think this Ana, you can take the bed and I'll sleep on the sofa over there" I say as I point to the overstuffed sofa in the corner.

Ana turns towards me and shakes her head, "No, I can't ask you to do that – this is your hotel room" she says.

I smile indulgently at her, "Ana, it's obvious you are terrified at the prospect of sharing a room with me, I'm just trying to set you at ease" I say.

Ana smiles at me, "Christian… I… it's just…" she pauses and looks down. I step closer and pull her into my arms and I touch her chin with my finger and tilt up her head so she is looking up at me.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's just… you say you love me and now we are a couple… but… I, but you…" she stammers and looks down again.

"Ana stop" I say cutting her off, "look at me" I say and she lifts her head and looks at me.

"Yes, I have feelings for you… strong feelings, I love you. Yes, we are officially a couple now and I admit that I am entertaining thoughts of fully making you mine". I pause and hold up my hand as Ana opens her mouth to say something, "BUT…" I say louder than I actually intended, and she immediately closes her mouth again, "…but I'm not going to force you to do anything you are uncomfortable with or not ready to do, ok?" I say and look at her questioningly.

I see the relief on her face and she nods, I hold her tightly to me and press a kiss to her head, "Ana we have been seeing each other for over a year, and although I only told you I loved you earlier this evening, I have known that I loved you for months, but I have never ever done anything about the more… carnal thoughts I have been having about us and I won't until you are ready to take that step" I say, hoping that I am reassuring her and not scaring her to death.

"I'm sorry Christian it's just…" she pauses and looks down again.

"Just what Ana, come on you can tell me. I'm your boyfriend and if we are going to be embarking on a real relationship, we need to trust each other. We are already good friends, you told me that you consider me to be your best friend so you know you can trust me… right?" I say and I wait for her response. I have always known she has been holding something back from me and I hope she is now ready to tell me what that is.

Ana nods, "I do… you're lovely, you are the only man apart from my dad who I feel completely safe around" she says.

I frown at that comment and wonder once again what the hell has happened to her to make her distrust and fear men. My mind goes back to the man in the apartment with her roommate and wonder if something had happened there.

"Did that asshole in the apartment do something to you?" I ask.

Ana looks confused for a moment and then realises what I am getting at and she shakes her head.

"No, no he didn't, he just gives me the creeps… he reminds me of someone, someone who did try and hurt me" she says.

"Who? Who tried to hurt you Ana?" I ask, as protective anger starts to rise within me.

I see tears forming in Ana's eyes and she starts breathing heavily as anxiety seems to grip her at the mere thought of whoever it was, so I hold her tightly to me.

"Hey come on, if you're not ready to talk about it, it's ok… but just know, I will never ever hurt you or do anything that you don't want me to do" I say.

I feel her relax and she nods her head against me. "I'm sorry" she mumbles and she grips me even tighter.

"Stop apologising" I say as I stroke her head and press a small sweet kiss to it.

I feel her pull away from me and I can almost see the cogs turning as she is thinking, then she looks up at me nervously, "I… I… I think I'd like to share a bed with you, you make me feel safe and so…" she trails off and I can see she feels awkward about this so I simply nod and don't make a big deal about it although I am secretly delighted she has agreed to this.

We spend a quiet evening just chilling out and doing nothing. She is interested to hear how the negotiations are going with the company I am taking over and which is my reason for being here in Portland. I am surprised when she hangs on my every word and asks intelligent questions about the process of acquisitions and mergers. I feel so relaxed and comfortable with her and we discuss her progress at university.

Eventually the time comes for us to call it a night and I see Ana getting more and more anxious about the prospect. I make a point of going for a shower and getting ready for bed in the bathroom, to give her some space. Under normal circumstances I sleep naked but tonight I emerge from the bathroom with a pair of boxer shorts on. While I was in the bathroom Ana had got herself changed and she smiles nervously at me as I climb into bed.

"I'm just going to go and brush my teeth" she stammers as she practically runs to the bathroom.

I hear her use the toilet and the tap runs as she brushes her teeth and then there is silence. After a significant pause, the bathroom door opens and she comes out. I stay still as she hesitates and then clambers into bed beside me.

"Christian" she whispers and I smile.

"Yes" I reply.

"Thank you" she whispers and she touches my arm.

"You are very welcome" I reply. I run my hands down her arm and I am surprised when she shuffles closer and wraps her arms around me and gives me a hug. I feel myself starting to get hard but I try and ignore it. I feel her press a small sweet kiss to my chest and I take a sharp breath in as the feeling sends shockwaves through my body.

I feel her stiffen as she hears me and I pull her closer to try and reassure her.

"Goodnight baby" I whisper and I press a kiss to her head and I feel her relax into my arms.

**oooOOOooo**

"No… No…. Please, no… don't…"

I open my eyes, at the pitiful cries and I feel Ana moving and as I come into full consciousness, I quickly realise she is having a nightmare.

I put on the bedside lamp and see Ana thrashing around, with sweat pouring off her and tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Ana" I say gently and I reach out and touch her, but she screams out and shrinks away from me.

"ANA" I call again as I sit up and I try to reach for her once more.

"ANA, wake up!" I call and I give her a gentle shake.

Suddenly she gasps and opens her eyes. She sits bolt upright and she is panting. She is staring wildly around her as she comes into consciousness.

I reach for her, "Ana, baby… it's ok, you're safe. It was just a dream" I say gently.

At first, she pushes me away and quickly shuffles in a desperate attempt to escape. I stay still and wait for her to realise that she is ok and that she is safe here. I watch her closely and I see the moment as she realises where she is.

She turns towards me and she reaches for me, "Christian?" she says as her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

I grasp her hand and pull her gently towards me, "It's ok baby, I'm right here. You are safe, nobody is going to hurt you" I say and as I wrap my arms around her and as I stroke her damp back, I feel her start to relax.

After a moment she sighs deeply and looks up at me and I smile.

"There she is" I say and I see the embarrassment fill her face.

"I am so sorry" she mutters and she tries to pull away from me again but I shake my head and hold on to her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, you had a nightmare" I say as I continue to stroke her back and gently rock her.

"I woke you up… you have work tomorrow" she says, and she grimaces as she glances at the clock, "today" she corrects as she sees the time and she looks up at me guiltily.

I shake my head, "that's fine, don't worry about it" I say.

I wait as I am desperate for her to tell me what it was about, but I have a feeling from what she was screaming in her sleep that it has something to do with this mystery person who previously hurt her. I simply hold her tightly to me and press small kisses to her head.

"I dreamed I was back in Texas with mom… and him" she whispers after a moment.

"Oh?" I say simply, while I will her to continue.

I feel her nod against me and her hands ball into fists.

"Mom's husband at that time, he was husband number 3 and I hated him" she says.

I don't say anything but let her speak in her own time and her own way. I realise she is going to confide in me and it is clearly a painful memory so I just sit and wait for her to continue.

"He wasn't a good person" she says after a moments silence and then I hear a small sob.

My protective anger starts to rise and I hold Ana tightly and rock her trying to offer some sort of comfort. I have no point of reference for this, as I had an exemplary childhood. My parents were the best, that leads me on to think about my mom. Mom would know what to do. The amount of child abuse cases she has witnessed over the years and her own experiences with her shitty parents, she would know exactly what to say and do to try and make things ok again for Ana.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask and inwardly cringe at how lame that sounded.

I feel her hesitate and then she nods.

"Ok, well take your time and tell me in your own way, there's no rush we have all the time in the world" I say.

I feel her nod again and she takes a deep breath.

"Do you remember that day?" she begins hesitantly.

Before I can question which day she is referring to, she continues to speak.

"That day I first saw you, the very first time we met… kind of" she says and I nod.

"How could I forget it" I say quietly and I hear her let out a small chuckle which makes me smile with relief. The very fact she's now able to chuckle tells me she is in a better frame of mind than she was just a few moments ago.

"Well… my mom took me to see Dr Harper… your mom, to check if I was still a virgin" she says quietly but I don't miss the note of bitterness in her tone.

I think I have misheard her for a moment, "she did what?" I ask incredulously.

Ana nods against me once more, "She took me there to check that I was still physically a virgin" she says bitterly.

I have no idea what to say to that, I want to say that was a gross invasion of her privacy and what the hell possessed her but I stay silent.

"You see… mom came home and found me with Stephen, that was her husband. I was screaming and telling him to get off me, he was trying to… you know, he had overpowered me and torn my clothes and he was trying to… have sex with me, I was covered with his semen where he had already ejaculated all over my face after he had forced his penis down my throat and forced me to… yes well…"

I feel her body go rigid as she is obviously remembering that time, my anger is now at boiling point and I hold her tightly as I try and control myself.

"He told mom… he told her I was willing, he told her I had led him on and that I'd come on to him, and that he was only human and had a lapse of judgement and responded to me but when he did so I apparently changed my mind and then tried to say he was attacking me… and she believed him".

"She did what?" I ask.

"She believed him, you see I had been telling her repeatedly of what he was like and how he kept trying to get me alone to do things, how he touched me inappropriately, how he had exposed himself to me and how he had tried to get me to touch him. I had told her all this but she didn't believe me. She said I was making it up because I was angry with her for taking me away from Ray and it was all lies to try and get her to let me go home to Ray. She was jealous of our relationship I think, because he had always been both mom and dad to me. So, when she caught him she asked me if this was my plan all along, for her to let me go back to Montesano - to seduce her husband so she would throw me out" she says sadly.

"Jesus Christ" I mutter.

"She asked me outright how many times I'd had sex with him and I told her I hadn't, I pleaded with her to believe me. I told her I was still a virgin and hadn't had sex with anyone. She didn't believe me so she took me to Dr Harper to get the proof… which she got. Your mom didn't want to examine me like that, and at first she refused to do it. I think she realised that something more was going on by my demeanour and because my mom was so insistent. I wanted my mom to know I hadn't done anything with him, I wanted to give her the proof she wanted so I told your mom I wanted her to do it. So, she did and then as soon as we got home after the hospital visit, I packed my bags and I went home to Ray and she didn't stop me".

"How long did the abuse go on for?" I ask carefully.

Ana pauses as she thinks, "erm… about six months. As soon as we left Montesano and arrived in Texas he started, it was all very innocent at first, hugs and touches. But he gradually got more and more insistent, one time I woke up and he was in bed with me and he was naked, he tried to get me to touch him, another time he came in while I was having a shower and got in the shower with me and he touched me".

"Wasn't there a lock on the bathroom door?" I ask and Ana nods.

"Oh yes there was a lock but he broke it, he actually broke into the bathroom while I was showering" she says with an empty voice. I have no idea what to say to that so I just continue to hold her tightly.

"When I said no and rejected his advances and told him I'd tell my mom he laughed and said she wouldn't believe me… and he was right. I tried so hard to keep out of his way, and because I kept rejecting his advances and trying to avoid him he got angry and he hit me a few times. Then things escalated and he got more and more aggressive, his favourite trick was pinning me down and forcing his penis into my mouth, then as he was coming he would pull out of my mouth and make it go all over me. That seemed to be enough for him, until that evening… when he tried to rape me".

"Jesus Christ" I say again as I have no idea what else to say.

Ana nods, "I was so scared, he was insatiable. He had already done his usual thing and he whispered in my ear that he was going to fuck me properly. He was everywhere, I tried to push him off but he was just too strong and too quick. He pinned me down and tore off my panties, he pushed himself between my legs. I was screaming at him and clawing at him, I was fighting so much that he grabbed me and turned me over onto my stomach and I knew then it was going to happen. He pushed himself between my legs and he was just about to… when my mom walked in and caught him, I was screaming get off me and I was struggling and crying but she still believed him, she still believed I was willing and…" she trails off and starts to cry again.

"Does Ray know about all that?" I ask. I am feeling so out of my depth here, I'm not sure what to say.

Ana nods, "yes he does, not in the detail to which I have just told you, in fact you are the only person I have ever told everything to. He wondered why I was coming back and he only had to look at me to know that something had happened, I was so relieved to be back with him and finally safe that I just broke down and told him everything and he was so angry, I've never seen him so angry. He wanted to fly to Texas and if he had I'm certain he would've killed him. I begged him not to do anything because I needed him, and the last thing I needed was him being up for murder. I reasoned with him that if he did something stupid I would have no choice but to go back to my mom and I didn't want to. Thankfully he listened and agreed with me. However, karma played a part as I heard a few months later that Stephen had been accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and that girl's father had caught him and shot him as he tried to escape. He isn't dead, but when he was shot his spinal cord was severed and so he is now paralysed from the waist down… so he won't be attacking anyone else again".

I listen to all this in shock, "Did he get charged with the assault?" I ask.

Ana nods, "Yes, and I believe he is in prison… as far as I know. I came forward and testified at his trial to what he did to me. I have no idea what happened to the girl's father, I don't know if he was charged with anything... I hope he wasn't. After the trial Ray and I came home, a few weeks after we got back my mom called Ray and begged to speak to me and she said that she now believed me. Ray asked me if I wanted to talk with her but I didn't, she didn't believe me when it mattered, when I needed her to believe me. Even during the trial she stood by him, that was until the amount of evidence against him became so overwhelming. You see I wasn't the only one who came forward to testify against him, and when they got his DNA it matched several unsolved rape cases of teenage girls and all his previous partners had young daughters. I wasn't the only one, he targeted women with young daughters as it was the girls he was interested in… sexually. He had abused others and so you could say I was one of the lucky ones, that he didn't manage to rape me. So, I didn't want to speak to my mom, I didn't want to hear her excuses and Ray told her never to contact us again… I think she lives in Georgia now, with her latest husband".

"Did you ever get any help for what you went through… any therapy or anything?" I ask.

Ana shakes her head, "No, no not really, Ray did what he could and he taught me self-defence so I would be able to defend myself if anything bad ever happened again" she says.

"So… being here with me, sharing a bed with me, it brought back memories?" I ask as I begin to feel incredibly guilty.

Ana looks up at me. "Sort of, it's hard to explain… I feel so safe with you, but because I feel safe with you it inevitably makes me think of the time when I wasn't safe, and after our talk earlier it was all in my mind again and I think that is what caused me to have a nightmare".

I hesitate a moment, "would you like me to speak to my mom and ask her to recommend a therapist for you… it might help?" I ask.

I see her think about that, and then she shakes her head sadly, "No, it's ok" she says.

I frown, "Are you sure?" I push.

Ana nods and smiles at me. "I'm sure… but thank you" she says.

**oooOOOooo**

The next day I can't get the events of last night out of my mind and after much thought I call the one person who I know will be able to offer me some advice. I pick up my phone and dial the familiar number.

"Hello". The voice of my mother makes me smile.

"Hi mom" I say brightly.

"Christian! Where are you?" she asks.

"I'm still in Portland finishing up this deal with the company I am buying" I say.

"Ok, and of course there isn't anything else keeping you in Portland?" my mom asks and I smile at the way she says that. She knows about Ana and has met her and I even think that she knew I loved her even before I did.

"Mom" I say and I hear a laugh.

"I'm sorry, but while we are on the subject how are things between you and Ana… she's a lovely girl," she says.

I hesitate, "That's actually why I am calling you, as I need some advice mom" I say.

"Oh?" she says all humour gone from her voice.

"Look, Ana told me something last night, she trusted me with something and I feel kind of bad telling you but… I need advice as I need to know how to handle this, because… I think she's the one mom… I love her" I say.

I hear my mom take a sharp breath in at that, "Alright, well I'm guessing whatever she told you isn't appropriate to be talked about over the phone, so as soon as you are back in Seattle come for dinner and we can talk about it then" she says.

I understand what she is saying but I need advice as I don't want to do anything which will trigger a negative reaction from Ana.

"I will do, but I need your advice right now as I don't want to do anything which will fuck up what we have" I say.

"Why would you do anything that would fuck anything up?" my mom asks. Clearly confused by what I am saying.

I sigh and rub my eyes, "because our relationship has stepped up from the friend stage, I told her how I feel about her, we are officially boyfriend and girlfriend now… I have feelings and urges and I don't want to fuck things up by doing something and scaring the hell out of her" I say.

There is a long silence before my mom speaks again, "Christian… all you have to remember is no means no. But I also know that I don't have to tell you that, so going on what you have told me… along with my own suspicions when I was Ana's doctor in Texas, which I couldn't possibly comment on due to patient confidentiality, I am guessing that you are afraid because you don't want to trigger any negative memories she may have… am I correct?" she says.

"You are spot on" I say, relieved my mom has caught on so quickly.

"Right, well you definitely need to come for dinner – sooner rather than later and you need to bring Ana with you, I tell you what why don't you both come for dinner tonight?" she says firmly.

I smile at that, and I know my mom will help her. But it doesn't solve my problem of inadvertently doing something which scares Ana.

Almost as if my mom can read my thoughts she says, "and just be yourself with her, she obviously trusts you or she would've run by now if she felt unsafe. She has accepted you as her boyfriend and has accepted that you have strong feelings for her so she obviously feels safe with you. Don't try and second guess her, just be honest with her. You are good at reading people Christian so use that ability and if she looks uncomfortable or afraid, stop whatever it is you are doing and just talk to her… communication is the key to any relationship and in this circumstance even more so" she says.

"Thanks mom" I say gratefully.

"No problem" she replies. "Don't forget… dinner tonight, I'll expect to see you both this evening" she says and I smile.

"Yes mom" I say dutifully.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

_Later that day…_

My time in Portland has now come to an end. The deal is complete and the company is now mine, but I still have a reason to be here, a massive reason and that reason is currently walking towards me as I wait in the university car park. I am leaning against my car with my arms folded watching the university students milling around me, some nudging each other and whispering as they pass me, but I ignore them. I spotted her as soon as she left the building and started walking towards me. It took her a bit longer to spot me but when she does, I see her still and then the surprise fills her face which quickly morphs into a stunning smile which makes my heart stutter.

"Hi, what are you doing here?" she asks as she reaches me and standing on her tiptoes, she presses a small sweet kiss to my lip.

My arms automatically go around her and I pull her close.

"I came to say goodbye, the deal with the company I was buying is complete so I'm going back to Seattle shortly" I say and I watch her reaction closely.

"Oh" she says and I watch as the smile vanishes and her head droops. Then I feel her pull away from me.

I can't keep the pretence up any longer and so I let out a snort and pull her close, "I'm joking Ana, yes the deal is complete and yes I do need to return to Seattle but there is something which is keeping me here. Something which I can't possibly live without, so I won't be leaving forever and you will still see me so regularly that you will be sick of me" I say.

Her head whips up as she registers that I am messing with her and her eyes meet mine. She slaps my arm and tries to scowl at me but it quickly changes to a bright relieved smile.

"You are a bad man" she says as she tries to sound angry and fails miserably. I laugh and pull her towards me and nuzzle into her neck as I kiss her.

"Ana!" I feel Ana shift as someone calls out to her and I look up to see a young Hispanic man walking towards us.

He stops and appraises me and then confidently holds out his hand towards me, "hello you must be Christian, I've heard a lot about you" he says, but I don't miss the distinct note of jealousy in his voice. I quickly wrack my brains as I try to remember who he is as I'm certain Ana has spoken about her college friends, even though I have never met them.

Ana smiles warily at him and before I can come up with a name, she introduces us. "Jose, this is my boyfriend Christian. Christian this is my friend Jose Rodriguez" she says as she waves her hand between us.

Aah yes, Jose Rodriguez, I remember Ana talking about him. His father knows Ray from when the two served in the military and by the look on his face he clearly thinks this gives him some kind of advantage to get into Ana's panties. I can't help but notice Ana's indifference to him which comes as a relief.

My attention shifts to him as he speaks. "Boyfriend?" he mutters, but he quickly composes himself and holds out his hand towards me. I grasp his hand and shake it firmly, maybe a little too firmly as his eyes widen and as he pulls away he flexes his fingers.

"So, what are you doing here?" he asks me. His almost accusatory tone makes my hackles rise and I immediately want to ask him if it is any of his business, but I don't. This is Ana's friend and as such I'll play nice.

I wrap my arm around Ana and pull her close, "I am here to hopefully take my girlfriend out to dinner" I say and I admit I am petty enough that I get a small thrill as his face drops and I realise he was hoping Ana would be spending time with him this evening.

Ana looks up at me and grins, "I'd love to" she says excitedly and then she turns towards Jose, and smiles brightly at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow" she says and I watch as a tight smile fills his face as he nods and then he turns away.

I turn and open the car door for Ana and she clambers in. Then I move to the driver's side and climb in beside her. "Do you need to head to your apartment before we go?" I ask and Ana nods.

"Yes please, I'd like to take a shower and get changed" she says.

I nod and then pull away from the kerb.

"Where are we going? Are we having dinner at the hotel?" Ana asks and I hesitate to answer as I try and word correctly what I want to say.

"No… my mother has invited us for dinner this evening, that's ok isn't it?" I ask and I quickly glance at her and see the surprise on her face.

"Your mom?" she stammers.

I nod, "I may've called her and I may've let slip that we are now officially a couple, and of course my mom was all over it straight away and insisted… you don't mind, do you?" I ask warily, I know this isn't the entire truth but hopefully Ana will buy it.

Ana smiles, "no, not at all I like your parents and your mom is lovely" she says.

An unconscious smile fills my face as I think of my mom, "yeah she is, she's the best" I say quietly.

As we pull up at the apartment Ana is out the car and running to the door.

"Steady on" I call after her as I try and catch up.

"I need to get a wriggle on, if we are driving to Seattle, it's a long journey so the sooner we get going" she explains and I laugh.

"Aah I see, well that is where you are wrong… you see I also have a surprise for you – I have something to show you. That is another reason why I came to collect you from college" I say and Ana pauses and looks at me questioningly.

I grin at her, "look just go and do what you have to do, all will be revealed as soon as you are ready" I say.

I settle myself on the sofa and hear Ana in her room. I hear the shower and then Ana getting ready, as she does so Kate arrives, thankfully alone and she smiles at me.

"Hi Christian" she says brightly as she passes through.

"Kate" I say politely.

I don't like that girl, there is something about her which I can't put my finger on which I don't trust. I think she uses Ana. Ana has openly admitted that she does all the cooking and that if she didn't Kate would probably starve as she is a hopeless cook. I get the impression Kate is simply a self-centred, spoilt, entitled rich kid who is relying on daddy's name, money and contacts to help her through life. It is no coincidence that she is doing a degree in journalism the same profession her father is a big name in. I have met her father; Eamon Kavanagh is a media tycoon and not a person I would willingly spend time with. But I am not too stupid to know that as my business grows and I get more well-known it is a good thing to have a contact in the media so I push aside my personal dislike of the man and his morals.

I realise Kate is still hovering when she speaks again. "Erm… Christian could I ask a favour of you?" she says after a moment. I look up at her questioningly and wait for her to elaborate.

"You know how you've been asked to confer the degrees at the graduation ceremony this year?" she begins.

I nod but don't say anything. The university approached me to do this after I had given them a donation for one of their projects. My new PR man had told me it would be a good thing to do so despite the fact I didn't want to do it I had somewhat reluctantly agreed to, but it quickly occurred to me that I would in fact be giving Ana her degree which had made me see the event in a much more positive light.

"Well… I was wondering, if I could interview you for the college newspaper, you know a kind of profile… I mean you have had such a massive success in business in such a relatively short amount of time, it would be inspiring for students to read about how you did it" she says.

I shrug, "I can tell you how I did it right now, it was all down to hard work, determination and a significant amount of luck at being in the right place at the right time" I say with an air of indifference. I don't want Kate to interview me.

As Kate opens her mouth to speak again but my attention moves to Ana who has appeared and is looking at me nervously. I immediately stand up and move towards her, effectively dismissing Kate completely.

"What's wrong?" I ask as I see her knotting her fingers.

"Do I look ok? I'm not sure what to wear" she mutters.

I laugh and pull her into my arms, "baby you look lovely and it's only my parents, we are not having dinner with the president!"

I feel her relax and she smiles at me, "I know… but" she says.

I shake my head at her, "but nothing you've already met my parents and they love you, and it's only a casual dinner, I bet you any money my mom will be wearing jeans and t shirt" I say.

Ana nods and we quickly leave the apartment. I don't want Ana to feel uncomfortable so I quickly text my mom and tell her to make sure she is not going overboard and to dress casually.

_**Ana is worried, so make sure this dinner is casual and can you wear jeans and t shirt, I'll explain later, C x**_

My mom's reply is swift and I smile as I read it.

_**No problem, does she know about what we talked about?**_

_**No, I just told her that I'd mentioned we were officially a couple now and that was the reason for dinner she doesn't know that I have spoken to you, **_I reply.

My phone buzzes almost instantaneously and I laugh out loud at my mom's response to that.

_**Great, thank you Christian – so you made me sound like an over-bearing mom!**_

_**Never! Not possible x **_I reply and I push my phone into my pocket and climb into the car.

"Is everything ok?" Ana asks and I nod.

"Yep, everything is fine" I reply as I start the car and pull away from the kerb.

When we reach the helipad, I can see Ana's confusion. She is wondering what we are doing here. I open her door and hold out my hand to her to help her out.

"What are we doing here?" she asks in obvious confusion.

"My surprise" I say simply.

I turn to the two men waiting for me and smile widely at them. Both of them are new employees of mine and I quickly introduce Ana to them.

"Baby, this is Stephan and this is Jason. They both work for me. Jason works at HEH and deals with security but he is here tonight to help me get my car back to Seattle and he has helped me out by dealing with checking out of the hotel". Ana nods and smiles at Jason as he shakes her hand politely.

"I'm very pleased to meet you Miss Steele" he says.

Ana turns her attention to Stephan who also shakes her hand.

I take a deep breath, "Stephan is a new employee of mine, he is my pilot" I say and I wait for that to register and when it does Ana looks at me in utter shock.

"Pilot!" she exclaims and I grin at her reaction.

I nod, "yes baby, pilot. That is my surprise, I have bought a helicopter. It has been so much easier since I got it… and now I am in the process of getting my pilots licence so I can fly it myself. That's how we are getting to Seattle and why Jason is driving my car" I say and at that Ana's jaw drops. Her eyes fly up to the top of the helipad where my helicopter waits.

"That's _really_ yours?" she says pointing at it and I nod.

I quickly take her through the building and onto the roof where my new helicopter is waiting, Ana hesitates and I grasp her hand tightly.

"It's ok, it's perfectly safe" I say as I urge her towards the helicopter.

**oooOOOooo**

"Wow that was amazing, thank you" Ana says as we land at Boeing Field.

I grin at her bright face, as soon as we were in the air she started to relax and eventually she enjoyed the flight. As soon as the Seattle skyline started looming up in front of us, I couldn't tear her attention away from the window. I just can't wait for the day when I can fly her myself.

We clamber out of the helicopter and I see my father waiting for us a short distance away near his car.

"Hi dad, thanks for picking us up" I say as I greet my father warmly.

"No problem" he replies and then he hugs Ana, "hello sweetheart, how are you?" he asks kindly.

"Hello Mr Harper I'm good thanks" Ana replies politely.

My dad shakes his head, "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Dan! Mr Harper is my dad!" he says.

We climb into the waiting car and my dad drives us back to the small comfortable home just outside the centre of the city which I had bought them. The journey is light-hearted and my dad asks about the business deal and tells me how proud he is of me.

As we pull up at my parents' house my mom pulls open the door and I grin as I see her dressed casually in jeans and a t shirt. I lean towards Ana and whisper in her ear.

"See… jeans and t shirt, what did I tell you?" I say and I feel Ana relax and she smiles back at me.

I am happy to see how my mom greets Ana. She pulls her into a warm affectionate hug and I see Ana relish every moment of it. The more she tells me about her mother the more I recall my mother's sad mantra every time she was involved in a child abuse or neglect case, that '_some people should never have kids_'. She told me once that she had heard my grandmother say it about her own parents and that she always recalled it when she was dealing with difficult cases and after what Ana told me I feel it is more than appropriate. I must admit though, gran was spot on when it came to my mom's parents.

I see my mother meet my gaze as she hugs Ana and she has a concerned look on her face; but as Ana pulls away, she plasters a genuine bright smile on her face and tells Ana that she is happy to see her.

"So, Christian tells me that you two are more than just friends now?" she says.

"Mom!" I say warningly.

I see Ana flush but a bright smile fills her face and her eyes are shining as she nods, "He told me that he has strong feelings for me, he told me that he loves me" she gushes.

My mom hugs her again, "well I am so pleased for both of you" she says.

When we eventually get inside my mom heads into the kitchen and I'm not surprised when Ana follows, asking if she can help. My mom tells her she doesn't have to but if she wants to, she won't stop her and I watch them both walk away.

"Come on son, let's leave them to it… your mom mentioned she wanted to talk to Ana so this is probably a good time to leave them be".

I nod but I am worried that Ana is going to feel cornered or worse still, she is going to think I have betrayed her confidence. I start to worry about what is being said in the kitchen.

_In the kitchen…_

**(ELLA)**

I lead Ana into the kitchen trying to figure out how I am going to do this. From what little Christian has told me, and that really isn't much along with my lingering memories of that appointment I had with Ana back in Texas where I had my suspicions something had happened to her, I now believe she has been abused in some way and it has naturally left her traumatised. I need to find a way how to broach the subject without her realising Christian has told me anything and effectively betrayed her confidence, albeit because he was worried and wanted me to help her.

"So… he finally plucked up the courage to tell you how he felt about you?" I begin and Ana nods shyly.

I smile widely at her, "well it's about time, that boy has been head over heels for you for a while. He does nothing but talk about you when we see him and when he does, he always has this goofy grin on his face… but don't tell him I told you that" I say and I hear Ana giggle.

"Yes, he rescued me from the apartment and offered me sanctuary so I could study in peace and then ended up telling me that he loves me" she says.

"Sanctuary?" I ask and frown at her choice of words.

Ana puts her head down and I see her looking at her fingers, perhaps this is going to be easier than I thought. I put down the plate I was holding and walk towards Ana.

"Ana, you are safe in your apartment, aren't you? You are not in any danger, are you?" I ask.

Ana shakes her head, "No, not at all. Kate, my roommate had company – a man, and well…" she trails off and looks uncomfortable.

"Aah, I see… I was lucky I didn't have to deal with anything like that when I was at college" I say and Ana looks questioningly at me.

"No, I commuted. So, I came home every night. Not that my home was a temple of tranquillity with everyone else" I say.

Ana looks intrigued now and she steps closer, but is too polite to ask me outright.

So I decide to continue as if I haven't noticed. "No, with Dan and Christian and Dan's parents it was a full house" I say and I see the surprise on her face.

"Oh, I had no idea… I mean I know you look too young to have a son Christian's age but I just…" she says and then stops looking embarrassed about what she has just said.

I laugh, "Yes, I was sixteen when I discovered I was pregnant with Christian, and I honestly have no idea what I would've done if it wasn't for Paul and Kristy – that's Dan's mom and dad. They have been more parents to me than my own. They took me in and they basically supported us while I worked my way through High School and College. They are phenomenal people and I will always be forever in their debt for the way they rallied around us".

"What about your mom and dad?" Ana asks with complete curiosity.

I snort, "Let's just say there are people out there who should never have kids and my parents were prime examples of that. They took the news I was pregnant really well, so well they locked me in my bedroom and emotionally abused me, trying to brainwash me into having an abortion. I only escaped when my dad forgot to lock my bedroom door one night and I sneaked out in the middle of the night. I slept rough for a couple of months as I didn't want to lead them straight to Dan, but after a couple of months I couldn't stand it anymore. It was winter and winter in Detroit was so cold so I went to Dan. His parents took me in there and then and after one final confrontation with my parents that is where I stayed. Kristy and Paul treated me like another daughter, and for the first time in my life I felt loved and wanted… and I felt safe".

I watch Ana carefully as I say this and I see what I am looking for but she quickly covers it.

"Ana are you ok?" I ask.

Ana nods, "that's how I feel about Ray… my stepdad, he has no biological link to me but he has been more of a parent to me than my mom has ever been".

"What about your mom, do you see her much?" I ask hesitantly, but as I say it I am starting to recall a conversation we had where she said she doesn't see her mom much.

Ana's face darkens, "I don't see her, she lives in Georgia now I think" she says stiffly.

I notice her reaction and quickly try and lighten the mood. "Oh wow, she gets around then. So, she moved from Texas to Georgia, was that when you came to stay with Ray?" I ask. I am trying to keep the conversation light but I can see this is starting to get to her so I quickly apologise.

"I'm sorry, listen to me questioning you. What must you think of me? You came for dinner and here I am behaving like the Spanish inquisition!" I say.

Thankfully I hear her giggle at that and she shakes her head, "No that's fine, actually that day I saw you at the hospital… the day I first saw Christian, when he was waiting outside your office for you. That was the very day I left Texas and came home to Ray" she says quietly. There is a significant silence and then she speaks again. "After that appointment and I'd made my point I went home, packed and left and I think I have seen my mom once since then. After the last time I saw her she called and tried to say she was sorry and that she believed me now but I didn't want to know as it was too late… she should've always believed me".

And there it is, she doesn't realise what she has just said to me but what she just said confirms that something _did_ happen to her and worse still her mother didn't believe her. I quickly pick up on it and this way, it looks like I have got it from what she has told me. The details of that appointment which bothered me come flooding back to me and I remember clearly how insistent her mother was, she was so desperate to find out if Ana was still a virgin. At the time, I had assumed that she had found out Ana had a boyfriend and that she just wanted to know if Ana had been intimate with him. I feel so bad now as I had let my own experiences with my control freak parents cloud my judgement, I had just put her mother's behaviour down to being a control freak, whereas something far more insidious was happening, and I missed it. But I am slightly confused, if she didn't believe Ana then why was she so insistent on finding out if she was still a virgin?

"Didn't believe you about what? What happened to you?" I ask.

I see the panic on her face as she realises what she has done and then to my horror she just bursts into tears.

I quickly step forward and pull her into my arms. "Oh Ana sweetheart, it's ok. Come here" I gently sway with her in my arms and I look up to see Christian in the doorway looking concerned.

"Ana… baby?" he says and I feel Ana stiffen in my arms and she quickly wipes her eyes and pastes a brittle smile on her lips.

"I'm fine" she says but her words sound forced and fake.

"No you're not, what's happened?" Christian asks as he quickly walks towards us.

"She's ok, we were just chatting and she got a bit upset, that's all" I say.

"Did you tell my mom?" Christian asks hopefully.

Ana shakes her head and the look she gives him she is almost pleading with him not to say anything more.

"Baby talk to me, what has upset you?" Christian asks and I watch my son gently pull Ana into a firm embrace.

I watch as Ana seems to be thinking about something and then her whole body sags.

"Tell her, she'll be able to help" Christian whispers.

"Tell me what?" I ask gently. I am watching Ana carefully and if she isn't ready to talk, I am not about to force her so I am watching her reaction closely and I will shut this down if I think things are getting out of control.

Christian leads Ana to the kitchen table and pulls out a chair, Ana sits down and Christian sits beside her so I take the chair on her other side and reach for her hands which are on the table in front of her.

Ana looks up at Christian and he nods encouragingly at her, "go on baby she can help you" he encourages but Ana still looks hesitant.

"Christian, stop it. If Ana doesn't feel comfortable talking about whatever it is that has upset her you can't force her to, so stop badgering her to do so and Ana if you don't feel you want to say anything then that's fine. I just want you to know whatever you do say will go no further and if I can help you I will. You have obviously confided in Christian about something that has happened and if you don't feel able to tell me then that's absolutely fine. I just want you to know that my door is always open, if in the future you do feel able to confide in me".

Ana smiles at me gratefully, "Thank you Dr Harper" she says and I shake my head.

"Please, call me Ella. I'm not at work now and you are not my patient… you're family" I say.

Ana's eyes widen and her jaw drops at my words and that seems to have a profound effect on her as she reaches for Christian's hand and then looks straight at me.

"Mom's husband… the man she was married to when we were in Texas, he… he abused me" she whispers so quietly that I barely hear it, but my comment about her being family seems to have given her the trust and confidence she needed to say something.

I nod and reach for her hand, "Ok… so going on that appointment when you came with your mom, I am guessing it was sexual abuse" I say.

Ana nods, "she caught him trying to rape me, but he told her I'd come on to him and she believed him, despite all the evidence to the contrary. She believed him over me and thought I'd had sex with him, which is why I wanted to prove I didn't. She didn't believe me when I told her that he had been abusing me and she continued to stand by him until he was charged with raping a teenage girl and others came forward to say he had abused them as well".

I close my eyes and grip her hand tightly. I feel so bad now that I hadn't pushed the matter and allowed my own personal experiences to cloud my judgement that day.

"So, as I say she wanted to know if I'd slept with her husband. She accused me of doing so which is why I was so adamant that I wanted you to examine me and tell her I was still a virgin".

I shake my head sadly, this poor girl.

"Tell mom about the nightmares" Christian says quietly.

"Nightmares?" I ask.

Ana nods sadly, "When that whole time is discussed and is brought up, or if something triggers me so I think about it I tend to have nightmares about it. Because I was with Christian last night, it got me thinking about that time and then I had a nightmare".

"So, you spent the night with Christian in his hotel room?" I ask before I can stop the words coming out.

"Mom" Christian says warningly.

Ana nods, "Kate's… friend, well he scares me. He reminds me of husband number 3 and Christian wanted me to feel safe so he told me I could spend the night with him. He made me feel safe… I always feel safe with Christian" she says and I watch as she gives him a loving smile and squeezes his hand tightly.

"So… and I'm putting on my doctors' hat here, do you get these nightmares regularly or just when the topic of the abuse you endured comes up or if a situation triggers memories?" I ask.

"Just when it comes up or if I'm triggered, like when I see Kate's friend that triggers them because some of the things he says and does reminds me and makes me remember… of before" she says.

I nod, "have you sought help… therapy to deal with this and help you?" I ask.

Ana shakes her head, "No, I… I just thought that once I got home to Ray and cut my mother off then things would get better but although for the most part they did, things still trigger me and then I remember… and then I have nightmares" she says.

I nod, and immediately run through the therapists I know and one immediately springs to mind who I believe would be able to help Ana.

"Would you like me to put you in touch with a friend of mine? He is a therapist and he would be able to help you talk through these issues you are having and help you deal with what happened to you. I won't say get over it, but he will help you deal with it and come to terms with it. He's a good man, a kind man and he won't hurt you" I say willing her to agree.

I watch as she thinks about it.

"Can I think about it?" she says and I nod.

"Of course you can" I say. I pat her hand and I'm happy to see her relax, so I change the subject on to something lighter to let her know this conversation is over, "Come on let's finish sorting this dinner out!"

I am relieved to see when Ana nods and smiles brightly as she stands up.

I catch Christian's gaze and I smile as he mouthed the words 'thank you' to me.


	8. Chapter 8

**AUTHORS NOTE: Once again a massive thank you for all the positive reviews and PM's which I have received regarding this story. I have had a number of messages from people who seem to be a little confused as to the amount of time Christian has been 'dating' Ana. He first sees Ana in Texas when she is a teenager, but never speaks to her. A number of years later he meets her at Ray's house, which we see through a flashback of Christian remembering it at the beginning of chapter 5 where we have jumped forward four years and Christian is now a wealthy businessman. By this point they have been just friends for about a year after that meeting at Ray's house but he is in love with her. Up to that point he has had many 'dates' with her where they have gone out together but they are firmly stuck in the friend zone until the end of chapter 5 where he declares his love for her and she tells him she feels the same. There were no time jumps between chapters 5 and 7 (apart from Christian's flashback) as that played out the events following Christian telling Ana he loved her. **

**We now have another time jump in this chapter; we have moved forward three months to Ana's graduation ceremony, so Christian and Ana have known each other for over a year, they have been friends for over a year but they have only been a couple and officially in love for three months and up to this point have not yet been physically intimate. I hope that clears up any confusion and makes things clearer. Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 8

_Three months later…_

**(CHRISTIAN)**

I am sitting with unconcealed pride as I see all the graduates filing into the hall. There are hundreds of people here but I only have eyes for one. I scan the masses and I quickly find her. As she meets my gaze, I wink at her and I smile as I see her blush and she lowers her head. I glance around the room and I spot Ray and I nod at him in greeting and he simply nods back.

I am quite happy to be here, considering the fact I really didn't want to do this when I was first asked, and felt forced into it by my PR, I am now glad that I agreed. Seeing Ana get the degree she has worked so hard for fills me with pride and I now have some sense of the love and pride my dad must've felt when he watched my mom graduate.

The Dean drones on and then he introduces me as a shining star in the business world and generous benefactor to the university. I have to control myself and not burst out laughing at that introduction. I make a mental note to tell my mom what he called me – it should give her a good laugh. I stand and walk towards the podium and scan the sea of faces once more. I had prepared what I hope is a typical rousing and hopefully inspiring speech. I am fully aware these things can be deadly dull and all the graduates want to do is collect their degrees and get out of here. They don't want to listen to me. So, I deliberately keep it short. I make all the right noises about hard work paying off and I also throw in a few jokes which by the ripple of laughter I received, seemed to hit the mark. Then I move towards the Dean as the names are read out and the graduates come forward to collect their degrees. This seems to go on for hours, and finally the names reach 'S' in the alphabet and I stand a little straighter waiting for Ana's name to be called.

I smile, shake hands and congratulate each graduate as they take their degree from me and then move on. Finally, I hear her name and an unconscious smile spreads across my lips as she walks towards me.

I hand her, her degree and shake her hand, "well done baby" I whisper and she smiles at me and flushes bright red.

"Thank you, Mr Harper" she says quite properly as she accepts the degree.

Finally, the ceremony comes to an end and I manage to extract myself from the Dean and make my way into a large hall where all the graduates are milling around with their families.

I scan the room and can't help but notice that there are murmurs and nudges as I walk through. People are wondering what I am doing here. I spot Ana talking to Ray and I ignore everyone and make my way towards her. When I reach her, I wrap my arm around her and press a kiss to her head. She turns in my arms and smiles up at me.

"Hi" she whispers and I bend and press a kiss to her lips.

"Hi" I reply, before turning my attention to Ray and offering him my hand.

"Hello Ray, you must be feeling so proud today" I say and he beams at Ana and nods.

"I am, I never doubted my girl would do it though" he says and I see Ana flush brightly again.

"What are your plans now?" I ask as I am aware that Ray may want to celebrate with Ana in private.

Ana shrugs and looks at Ray questioningly. "Well, I was hoping to take my girl out for a celebratory lunch, would you like to join us Christian?" he asks.

"I'd love to" I say as I jump at the chance to join them.

**oooOOOooo**

After lunch I reluctantly have to return to Seattle to work so I say my goodbyes to Ray and turn towards Ana.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" I ask her.

She grins up at me, "packing" she says simply and rolls her eyes.

She is moving out of the apartment here in Portland and is moving to Seattle, which I am delighted about. She is going to be living with Kate in an apartment her father has bought her. I was even more delighted when she told me that the new apartment was situated in the Pike Market area of the city which is quite close to me, now that I have moved to Escala.

I laugh as I pull her close. "Don't sound so enthusiastic about it!" I retort.

She shakes her head, "I've done mine, it's Kates stuff which needs to be packed up" she says.

I frown at that, "surely she's not that incapable of packing?" I say somewhat sarcastically.

Ana snorts, "No, not incapable… just lazy! If she can offload chores on to me she will do" she says.

I take a step back, "In which case, you are going to spend the rest of the day with me. You are not her servant Ana, you are supposed to be her friend. I have always thought you do too much for her and because you are so kind hearted she takes advantage of that" I say, the thoughts and suspicions which I have had in my mind regarding Kate Kavanagh for a while all tumbling out of my mouth.

Ana stares at me in surprise. "I can't do that! You are going back to work; I can't come with you" she says incredulously.

I shake my head and wrack my brains trying to come up with a legitimate reason as to why she can and then I remember the meeting I have this afternoon and I decide to roll with it and hope she takes the bait. "You can, and besides I would like your input on a company I am visiting this afternoon… as it's a publishing house in Seattle, they are struggling to keep going and haemorrhaging money. This is your chosen career so you wouldn't be in the way. In fact I'd like you to come with me and see for yourself, see if you could offer some input into any ways which things could be improved or if my instincts and concerns are correct and the place isn't worth saving – just dismantling and selling off, or even just walking away from completely?"

Ana's mouth drops open, "Christian… I'm an English Literature graduate, I'm not qualified to make any suggestions regarding a business, I wouldn't know where to start".

I shake my head at her and grip her hand tightly, the more I think about this the more it seems like the best idea I have ever had. "I disagree baby, this is going to be your chosen career. You will need to know and understand the business side of things. What will sell and what won't, what to publish and what to reject. I'm not asking you to go in there and take over, I just want you to come with me and cast your eye over things and see if you… from your angle as a prospective future editor can see anything which I would miss".

I watch her carefully as she thinks about that. What I haven't told her is that she is the reason I have stepped in and am looking to buy this company. I want to help her get her foot on the ladder and if I own a publishing company then it would make that step easier. Also, I want to talk to her about taking an internship at my company until she finds something suitable, if this deal doesn't pan out. This could be the perfect opportunity for me to broach this with her.

"Ok then" she says after a moment and I am delighted that she has agreed to do this. I watch as she pulls out her phone and calls Kate.

"Hi Kate, where are you?" she says and then she looks surprised before looking around and waves at the tall blonde woman who is now striding purposely towards us.

"I thought it was you, I'm just heading back to the apartment to change" Kate says to Ana as she reaches us.

She turns her attention towards me and she openly flirts with me but I just ignore her. "Hello Christian" she says but I simply nod in response.

Ana had persuaded me to let her interview me and the only reason I agreed was because Ana said that Kate was being a pain about it and not letting it go. So, in the end I told her to tell her to write down a list of questions and I would answer them, but that was all she was getting. She had been happy with that and Ana had given me a copy of the graduation issue of the college newspaper. To be fair, Kate had done a good write up about me and not embellished the answers I had given her too much. But that doesn't stop me from severely disliking her.

"What's up?" Kate asks Ana and Ana smiles nervously at her.

"I'm afraid you're on your own with your packing" she says.

I see Kate's face drop immediately, "What do you mean?" she snaps.

"Something has come up and so I can't help you pack up your stuff" Ana says.

I watch as Kate's demeanour changes completely from happy friend to spoilt pouting child and she pulls Ana away slightly and I hear what she says, "But I was relying on you to help me out, I've been asked to go to a graduation party, all the college graduates who worked on the newspaper are going to be there, I can't miss it" she says and I scowl. So, she wasn't expecting Ana to _help_ her she was expecting Ana to pack _for_ her.

I quickly step in, as I can see Ana is wavering slightly and I just know that she will cave in to Kate's demands if I don't do something.

"Ana, we need to get going if you need to get changed and sort yourself out before that job interview" I say.

Kate's head whips around as she hears me and she has the grace to look slightly sheepish now whilst Ana just looks at me blankly and then quickly realises what I am doing and thankfully she plays along.

"Ok" she says and turns to Kate, "I'm sorry Kate but this is important. All my stuff is packed and ready to go, so it's not as if you have much to do". With that she walks towards me and gives me a grateful smile.

"Thank you" she whispers once we are out of earshot.

"No problem baby, you do realise she uses you don't you?" I say and Ana sighs and nods sadly.

"Yes, but it could be argued I use her too, as I need somewhere to live once I get to Seattle and she is giving me one, rent free so I can't really complain too much" she says.

I shake my head, "and in return you will be doing the majority, if not all of the cooking and cleaning once you are settled in there, she treats you like a servant rather than a friend, so you have every right to complain" I say.

Ana considers what I have said and reluctantly nods. "How are you doing in your new apartment?" she asks suddenly, and I know she wants to change the subject.

I let out a small snort as I think of her reaction when I took her to see my new penthouse apartment in the Escala complex. She had barely been able to keep her jaw off the ground as I'd given her the tour around the large apartment.

"I have everything where I want it now" I say with a smile, but what I don't say is that it won't be a proper home until Ana lives there with me. Thoughts which at this moment I am keeping to myself.

"What was it you said that your mom said about it? That you'd get vertigo living there?" she says with a grin and I laugh.

"Yeah, but having said that, it hasn't stopped her visiting regularly and going out on to the balcony and taking in the view" I say with a fond smile as I think about my mom.

After Ana has been home to her apartment and changed, carefully packing her things inside the pile of bags and boxes in her room, we leave for the helipad to take us to Seattle. We arrive at the helipad and Ana grins as she clambers aboard the helicopter. I am struck by her eagerness and almost nonchalance now. She has flown with me a few times and is now used to travelling by helicopter. I compare her relaxed demeanour now to her fear and anxiety the first time she boarded it. Her enthusiasm throughout the journey is infectious and once again I find myself dreaming of the day when I can fly her myself. When we arrive in Seattle; I see Jason waiting with my car and after I have thanked Stephan, I greet him warmly. He looks momentarily surprised to see Ana but rolls with it.

"Hello Jason, Ana is accompanying me to SIP for the meeting, she is looking to undertake a career in publishing so I thought it would be good for her to see how a publishing company _shouldn't _be run…" I hesitate and turn towards her, "obviously I'm not going to go in there and introduce you as my girlfriend. I will introduce you as my associate… ok?" I say and Ana simply nods in agreement.

"I was also wondering… until you manage to find a job in publishing… would you… we offer an internship scheme at HEH, I mean… if you were interested?" I say and I see Ana immediately look interested at that.

"Yes, I would be interested, I really need to find a job as I have my student loans to pay off… but the fact I'm seeing you… I wouldn't want that to give me any advantages, I would want to be treated just like any other employee" she says and I nod enthusiastically that she is even considering this.

"Not an issue," I say simply. I don't mention her student loans or the fact I have been secretly paying them off for her, that is a confession for another day.

We arrive at SIP and I hold open Ana's door as she climbs out and looks at the building in front of her. She now looks nervous and worried and I reach for her.

"Baby, stop worrying you'll do fine" I say reassuringly as I lead her inside. I am itching to hold her hand, but I realise that would look inappropriate so I just rest my hand on the small of her back and guide her through the door.

Waiting in the reception area is Ros and her eyebrows rise in surprise and she looks at me questioningly as she takes in Ana at my side. "Nice of you to finally join us Christian, I thought you'd got lost in Portland" she says dryly. I just smirk at her as I am used to her barbed comments.

"Nice of you to care Ros" I retort and she laughs.

I turn towards Ana who is fidgeting at my side. "Ros this is Ana, Ana this is Ros my business partner. Ana is joining us today as she is looking to take up a career in publishing, so I thought with that background she might see things from a different angle and also see things we might miss" I say and Ros nods and looks impressed.

She smiles kindly at Ana and holds out her hand to her. "It's nice to finally meet you Ana, I've heard a lot about you…" she turns to me and gives me another wicked grin, "excellent idea Christian, now I can see why you are a billionaire when you come up with ideas like that!"

"Alright Ros, cut it out" I say and I watch as Ros hands Ana a tablet and tells her to make any notes or observations on what she sees or thinks.

Ana nods nervously as she takes the tablet and looks up at me almost as if she is seeking reassurance, which I unhesitatingly give her.

"You'll be great baby" I say and she smiles and nods nervously.

A moment later a tall distinguished looking man walks through towards us with his hand outstretched and a too bright fake smile plastered on his face.

"Mr Harper, good to finally meet you in person" he says as he greets me. It doesn't escape my notice that he has totally ignored Ros and Ana. It's as if they are invisible. It seems Ana has also noticed this and is tapping furiously on the tablet.

"Mr Roach, this is my business partner Ros Bailey and my associate Anastasia Steele" I say and I watch as he finally acknowledges their presence and reluctantly greets them.

"Shall we" he says with a flamboyant wave of his hand.

I see Ana roll her eyes, she has seen through this man already and I watch her as she continues to make notes on the tablet.

Roach gives us a full tour of the building. I am more than a little bit irritated by him and I can see both Ros and Ana don't like the man, he is a pompous misogynist who either cannot grasp the level of dire straits his company is in or is simply deluded about it. We enter the editor's floor and he gushes about his _highly talented_ team of editors.

"Not that talented if you are losing as much money as you are doing" Ana mutters and I smile.

"I couldn't put it better, myself" I say and I watch Roach scowl.

I am watching Ana, she is taking everything in and asking intelligent questions which, I am also noticing, Roach is reluctant to answer. He is being evasive and when he does answer he is condescending but Ana is holding her own and makes some biting comebacks as he tries to constantly belittle her.

At this moment we are with one of Roach's fiction editors who Ana is questioning closely and he is having great difficulty in answering her questions. Ana is frowning and as we walk away, she is tapping furiously on her tablet.

"Everything ok baby?" I whisper and she nods and bites her lip and she looks more than a little bit concerned as she gives the editor another quick glance.

"What is it?" I ask as I can see something is bothering her.

She hesitates and then pulls me to one side. "If he is an example of their talent then I'm surprised the company hasn't folded already. He is clearly bone idle and just coasting. He couldn't answer simple questions which any editor worth their salt should've answered immediately".

I nod, "What's his name?" I ask.

"Jack, Jack Hyde" she replies and she turns and glances at him before looking up at me, "and I didn't like him… he, he had a bad vibe about him… he had all my internal alarms buzzing and also, I'm not certain but I'm fairly sure I could smell alcohol on him".

I nod and move towards Hyde; he looks at me warily. When I was doing my due diligence on this company it came back that he got through an alarming number of female assistants. Not one of them lasts more than a couple of months and none were ever retained by the company. This had raised a number of red flags for me that he was some kind of predator and now Ana has confirmed my suspicions about him by what she has just said.

As I look derisively at the large pile of manuscripts on the desk and then I look at him questioningly waiting for some sort of explanation. "I erm… I don't have an assistant at the moment, it's just me" he mumbles and I immediately smell the alcohol on his breath.

"It would also help if you weren't intoxicated" I say and turn towards Roach. "This man reeks of alcohol, were you aware you were employing a drunk?" I spit.

Roach scowls at Hyde and blusters a number of excuses.

"Why do you not have an assistant?" I ask him and he just glares at me.

I wait for him to answer but Roach quickly steps in, "she left" he snaps.

"Why?" I ask.

Roach shrugs, "Who knows?" he says dismissively.

I glance at Ana and she raises her eyebrows and taps something else. I wonder if Roach knows exactly why Hyde's assistants have been leaving but is just ignoring the fact. If that is the case he will be following Hyde out of the door, if I decide to take this company on.

As we move on it becomes apparent that this company really is a male dominated area. The only females employed here are the receptionist, the HR manager and the assistants and PA's. Not one of the editors are female and apart from the HR manager there are no women in the senior management.

We move into a large conference room and sit down around a table; I have seen enough. I know I can turn this company around and make it profitable again and looking at the calibre of the staff it would involve a number of redundancies. It needs a lot of work, time and attention to turn things around and as such I wouldn't normally make such an investment and under normal circumstances I would be just walking away at this point, but a part of me wants to see this through for Ana, as I can see despite the obvious problems this place has she is really taken with it.

"I don't see any evidence of eBook publication?" Ana asks suddenly and I pick my ears up.

Roach looks at her as if she is speaking a foreign language.

"We don't do that" he says haughtily.

Ana snorts, "and that sums up why your company is in the state it is in" she says with a saccharine sweet smile and tone.

Roach opens his mouth to protest but Ros quickly picks up on Ana's comment and looks questioningly at her.

"Your point?" she asks and Ana leans forward.

"Physical books, print and paper will always be important and will be the backbone of any publishing house. However, it is important to keep up to date with changes and advancements in technology. People read books differently these days, not only having a traditional book but nowadays people read on tablets, laptops and phones. That is why the likes of Amazon have been so popular they have given the public what they want to read on the go. It all comes down to convenience, audio books have been around for years with cassettes and then compact disks, but with the digital age it has never been easier to download a book to your phone and listen to it in your car or plug your headphones in and listen to it whilst out walking. eBooks are the same idea, how easy is it to have a reading app on your phone or have a reading tablet and download a number of books to take on holiday, it takes up less room and is more convenient. It's common sense really and I'm surprised that a company so established as this is so stuck in the past".

Roach glares at her, "the likes of Amazon have destroyed the independent bookstores, and they are controlling the market with the saturation of it with books which could never in any possible way be described as literature" he splutters and Ana nods.

"Exactly, I totally agree with you which is why it is up to Publishing houses such as yourself to fight back, to raise the bar and play them at their own game. Establish an on-line presence and offer an alternative. Diversification is needed, publishing houses publish books to be sold but due to the decline of independent bookstores it is an increasingly narrow market place with these huge conglomerates controlling what people read and the bookstores which do survive only sell a very narrow selection of books almost telling the public what to read… which is wrong, so it seems quite simple to me. Cut out the middle man, publish and sell direct to the public". She stops speaking and I am astounded at her astuteness.

Roach is sitting opening and shutting his mouth, unable to say a word.

"That is brilliant" I say. I would never have thought of that and I give Ros a smug triumphant glance and she acknowledges it with a small nod and I can see she too is impressed by Ana's thought process.

**oooOOOooo**

The meeting eventually comes to an end and we are all outside saying our goodbyes to Ros.

"It's been an absolute pleasure" Ros says as she holds out her hand to Ana. Then she turns to me, "Don't ever let her go" she adds.

I wrap my arm around Ana, "I don't intend to" I say as I give Ana a squeeze.

We climb into the waiting car and I turn towards Ana, my decisions swiftly moving through my mind. "Baby, you know how I offered you a job at HEH until you found something in publishing?" I begin and she nods.

"Would you be interested in accepting a position at SIP instead, I'm going to implement all your ideas and I'm going to completely overhaul the place from top to bottom. I look forward to reading all your notes as you seemed to pick up on much more than I thought you would, so I need you… I need you here on the ground to help me make this place profitable again, what do you say?" I ask.

Ana stares at me in shock, "I… I… wow, I mean… shit… hell… I mean yes please! Where do I sign?" She rambles and then offers me a brilliant smile as her eyes shine with the excitement of being involved in this.

"We'll sort all that out tomorrow, but for now… come back to my apartment and have dinner with me?" I say.

Ana nods and I turn to Jason, "take us home please Jason" I say.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

My mind is still going a mile a minute as the elevator doors open. If I ever had any doubts – which I didn't, I know for certain now that I want Ana at my side forever. Watching her today in action was a revelation, she is so smart she would be an asset to HEH and I am greedy, I want all of her, I want her by my side as my wife and by my side helping me to rebuild SIP and helping me make HEH even stronger.

I have been entertaining thoughts of marriage for a few weeks now. I know we have officially been a couple for a relatively short amount of time and we haven't even been physically intimate yet. However, we have been friends for over a year and I value her opinion on almost anything, plus as I cast my mind back to that very first meeting back in Texas when she was a teenager I can't help but believe we were always meant to be together, it's like our destiny was inevitable. As the thoughts of making Ana my wife circulate around my head I think back to the conversation I had with my mom and dad as they had helped me move into Escala…

"_I think that's everything" my dad says as he drops the final box down. I smile, he had insisted that it was a waste of money getting a removal company to do a job which we were perfectly capable of doing._

"_Thanks dad" I say and I look around at my new apartment. "So, what do you think?" I ask as I watch my parents looking around the vast space._

"_It's very… big" my dad says after a moment._

_My mom goes out to the balcony and looks over the magnificent views of Seattle, "You'll get vertigo living up here!" she says dryly._

_My heart sinks, at their comments. My mom and dad's opinion always mean a lot to me. My mom looks at me and smiles. She walks over to me and I feel her arms circle my waist and I automatically wrap my arms around her. I am head and shoulders taller than her but I always feel safe and protected when my mom hugs me._

"_It's lovely Christian, and while it's not anything I would personally like to live in, if it's what you like then that's all that matters. Plus, I am so proud that you have reached the point where you are able to live in a place like this, but always remember your roots. Never forget where you came from to get to this point"._

_I nod and as my mom pulls away my dad comes up and slaps me on the back. "So how about that beer you promised us?" he says and I laugh as I move over to a box in the kitchen area marked 'food & drinks'. I reach inside and pull out two bottles of beer and I hand one to my dad and one to my mom._

"_Here you go, I'm sorry it's not chilled but it's the best I can do" I say._

_I grab one for myself and we move into the living area where my furniture is waiting to be properly arranged and boxes are piled up waiting to be unpacked. _

"_We'll drink this and then I'll help you unpack, Tia should be coming over soon with your grandfather and Uncle Tony, there isn't that much left to do so we should get it done in no time" my mom says as she looks around._

"_Thanks for doing this" I say quietly, "Ana said she would come up to Seattle at the weekend and help me with the final bits so if it doesn't all get done there is no massive problem" I say._

"_Oh, I wondered if she would come" my dad says._

_I nod, "Yeah, it's a bit hard for her at the moment as she is right at the end of her time at college and she is doing her finals. Her graduation is only a couple of months or so away, so that is obviously her priority at the moment" I say._

_My mom smiles knowingly, "you really do love her don't you?" she says and I nod. I fiddle with the beer bottle in my hand as I think about how I feel about Ana._

"_I love her mom, I have even started thinking about marriage. I want everything with her, marriage, kids the whole lot" I say and I smile as I think about Ana._

_My mom nods, "She's doing really well with her therapy. We had a chat the other day when I saw her at the hospital". My mom smiles at me reassuringly as I must look concerned about what she has just said. "It's fine Christian, she was there for her therapy session, John has his offices at the hospital. There isn't anything wrong"._

_I immediately relax at that and nod._

"_So, she talks to you about it?" I ask, I haven't broached the subject of Ana's therapy with her as if I'm honest I'm not sure how to, but I was relieved when she agreed for my mother to introduce her to her friend John Flynn._

_My mom nods, "she does, as you know I gave her my number and she calls me and we have a little chat quite regularly. I think she was missing a female influence in her life. I know she has you and her dad, but a girl needs a female point of view sometimes. I obviously don't want to overstep but I look upon that girl as a daughter"._

_I smile at that, "thanks mom" I say simply. "I do know Ana loves you to bits, she talks about you a lot, but I wasn't aware she spoke to you regularly" I add._

_My mom nods, "she does and I can also tell you she loves you very much. I obviously won't discuss what Ana has said to me specifically as that would be a betrayal of the trust which she has put in me but all you need to know is she thinks the world of you"._

_I smile as I think about that, "so… do you think it would be a good idea to propose?" I ask._

_My mom's eyes widen and she sits back in her seat, "propose… as in marriage?" she asks._

_I nod, "that's exactly what I mean. I've not been able to get the idea of it out of my mind… she's the one mom" I say._

_My mom nods, "well, my instincts tell me she would probably say yes considering how much she loves you… but if you are looking for my advice, I would suggest you wait until after she graduates. She is coming up to the end of her time at college and for you to spring this on her right now wouldn't be fair on her. Wait until after she has graduated and then broach the subject. She… she is very damaged; I won't say broken but she has many psychological scars from her childhood, and I'm not just talking about the abuse. Has she discussed her homelife when she was growing up with you?" she asks carefully._

_I nod and sigh. "yeah, it was pretty horrific. I'm just so thankful she had Ray. Her mother was a complete piece of work, she makes your mom look like mother of the year and that's saying something! She told me that Ray practically brought her up. Her mother was always out and never participated in family life at all. She never attended school functions, and it was Ray who was always there when Ana needed a parent. She told me once her mom just walked out and disappeared for nearly two months when Ana was about 7/8 and then waltzed back in as if nothing had happened and she took off many times for a few days at a time, Ana also has her suspicions that she used drugs and had a drink problem and she believes that she was constantly cheating on Ray. To be honest I don't know why he put up with it, I did say that to Ana once and she said he stuck around for her because her mother was such a car crash and he knew she needed him for some kind of stability. Then the evil witch just upped and left and went to Texas with a fucking paedophile and forced Ana to go with her, pulling the mom card and throwing everything Ray had done back in his face and practically kicking him in the teeth by telling him he had no say as he wasn't her father". I stop and shake my head._

_My mom nods, "That lack of stability and never knowing she could rely on the one person who she should unquestionably be able to rely on inevitably left scars. She clings to Ray as he has always been the consistent factor in her life. Now she has you, but from some things she told me, it seems to me that she… she is waiting for you to leave, she is waiting for the other shoe to drop and for everything to end"._

_I sit back, that makes everything so much clearer and explains an awful lot. "So, if I were to propose that would be a good thing? I mean it would prove to her that I'm not going anywhere" I say._

_My mom nods, "it would, but she is also terrified of intimacy due to the abuse she endured, so… she may… I'm not saying she will, but she may turn you down out of fear of the fact that if she marries you, that you will inevitably want to be intimate with her, as she really isn't ready yet for the physical side of your relationship"._

_I think about that, I think I have reassured Ana enough that I'll never force her to do anything she doesn't want to do, and that I will wait as long as it takes. But what if she never wants to be intimate, can I live with that? The answer comes to me without any hesitation. Of course I can, I love her too much. Sex isn't the most important thing in a relationship, and what we have is special we have a solid foundation of friendship, we know each other and we know what makes each other tick... _

"Are you even listening to me?"

I am abruptly pulled from my thoughts by a light slap on the arm.

"Sorry baby, what did you say?" I ask.

Ana grins at me, "you were away with the fairies then, I said what are we doing about food. Are we eating here or going out?"

I decide to seize the moment, I'm doing it. I'm going to propose tonight.

"We'll eat out, where would you like to go?" I ask.

Ana shrugs, "you choose" she says and I smile.

I walk away and pulling out my phone I call the manager at The Mile High Club. I recently bought it and it has been totally refurbished and is now the go to place in Seattle. As he answers I quickly outline what I want and I am assured that everything will be in place for me when we arrive.

I go to find Ana and I find her pulling a bottle of wine out of the fridge.

"Pour me one, please" I call and she looks across at me and smiles as she reaches for another glass.

She comes and sits down next to me and hands me the glass.

"Thanks baby, I've made a reservation at The Mile High Club, is that ok?" I ask and watch her reaction closely.

I see her eyes widen and she nods. "Wow, that place is really fancy and there is supposed to be a two month wait for a reservation. How did you manage to get us in there?" she asks.

I grin at her, "I called the manager and asked for one, and me being the owner of the place, he was only too happy to oblige me" I say smugly.

I see the surprise on her face, "you never told me you had bought that!" she exclaims.

I laugh, "A man has to have some secrets" I retort.

I throw back my wine and I go to my room and pull open the bedside drawer, and pull out the small ring box nestled inside which I have had ever since I spoke to my mom and been waiting for the right moment. I open the box and look at the beautiful platinum ring with a single solitaire diamond. Not too big or ostentatious as I know Ana would hate that but big enough to let everyone know she is taken, and taken by me. Nerves start to set in as I wonder if she will turn me down.

I quickly change and push the ring into my pocket before heading back out to Ana.

"You were amazing today Ana," I say as I finish reading through the notes she had made on SIP. She was so astute and spot on with her observations and her detailed notes gave me a real insight into the place as she had noticed things which I completely missed.

I hold up the tablet and wave it at her, "and this proves I made the right decision to offer you a job. You saw things which I totally missed, and I pride myself on seeing everything" I say.

Ana flushes and puts her head down, "I didn't want to let you down" she whispers.

I let out a loud snort, "you could never let me down baby, you are amazing" I say.

I put the tablet down and take a deep breath, I hope I'm not showing just how nervous I am about tonight. I glance at my watch and then look towards Ana.

"Shall we go then?" I ask simply.

Ana nods, "yeah, I'm starving" she replies and on cue her stomach rumbles loudly. She giggles and pats it, "see" she says and I let out a small chuckle.

I hold out my hand to her, "well let's go then".

**oooOOOooo**

When we arrive at the Mile High Club the manager greets me and personally shows us to our table. he is wringing his hands and looks at me anxiously as I scan the area.

We are in a secluded corner and flowers have been placed on the table along with several more arrangements around the table. I smile and nod at the manager and I see him almost sag as I thank him, then he nods and walks away.

I pull a chair out for Ana and hold it as she sits down looking around her. "This is really lovely" she says as she takes in the flowers and the candle on the table.

A waiter comes over and lights the candle for us and offers us the menus.

"Thank you" Ana says as she smiles up at him and as he smiles back at her he flirts with her a little. I feel a surge of jealousy go through me, but I don't say anything and I try and rein in my wayward thoughts.

I watch Ana as she looks at the menu, she is biting her lip and I know she is looking at the prices. She normally insists on going halves on the bill when we go anywhere, and I know this place is way out of her budget.

I lean forward, "Ana, order whatever you want. We are celebrating your graduation and your new job today so tonight is on me… please let me do this for you" I say.

I watch her as she smiles and nods, "thank you Christian" she says after a moment.

The waiter reappears with a bottle of wine which he opens and lets me taste. "that's fine, thank you" I say and I watch him as he pours.

"Thank you" Ana says as he pours her a glass of wine.

After we have ordered and the waiter takes away the menu's Ana leans forward.

"So, when do I start my new job?" she asks casually.

I smile and take a sip of the wine, "Well… I was thinking, a week on Monday. That will give you time to get settled in after your move to Seattle, it will also give HR time to process the paperwork. You'll be based at SIP, but I should tell you that I am planning on closing that office and bringing the operation in house with me at HEH at Harper House". I wait and watch her reaction to that, she thinks about it and nods.

"That's sensible, it seems silly paying for two offices, if you have room at Harper House it makes sense to bring it all under one roof".

I am relieved she feels that way, "there will be redundancies. The majority of the staff there were just not up to scratch, so I would like you to be involved when I interview the replacements".

"Me?!" Ana exclaims her eyes widening in shock.

I nod, "Yes you Ana, you are astute and you are as good as me at reading people. You have a knowledge and passion for books so you will know what kind of people will excel at SIP – or Harper Publishing, which is what I am going to call it when I rebrand it".

"Ok" she says nervously and I can tell she isn't convinced.

"Ana, if you aren't comfortable with this then tell me now" I say carefully.

I see her smile and she reaches for my hand, "No, it's just… my ambitions went as far as being an editor some day, this is just a bit overwhelming that such responsibility and such a marvellous opportunity would happen at all let alone so quickly, I'm just trying to process it all, that's all" she says.

I squeeze her hand, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to overwhelm you, but you are perfect for what I am asking you to do" I say. I am now worried about proposing, she is clearly struggling to cope processing the new career which has fallen in her lap, I don't want her head to completely explode by asking her to marry me as well.

"I love you so much Christian and I will be the best employee you have ever had. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, I promise you I won't let you down" she says after a moment.

Ok, so that sounds promising. It sounds like she is accepting it and coming to terms with it. Maybe I could still propose tonight. I am pulled from my thoughts by our waiter appearing with our starters.

The meal is lovely and I watch Ana as she eats everything on her plate. This makes me feel relieved as I know that if Ana is concerned or overthinking something; she loses her appetite, so I am fairly confident that she now isn't worried about her new career. She places her knife and fork on her plate, wipes her mouth and leaning back she sighs.

"That was amazing" she says as she throws the napkin on the plate.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it" I say. I take a deep breath and reach across the table and hold out my hand. Ana doesn't hesitate as she places her small hand in mine and I rub my thumb over her knuckles.

"Baby, you know I love you… Right?" I begin and Ana nods, she is watching me closely now and there is an alertness to her demeanour.

I lick my lips, shit how do I do this, my dad had told me that simple and meaningful is the way to go. So, I stand and make my way to her side and as I drop to one knee in front of her she gasps.

"Christian, what are you doing?" she asks.

"Asking you to marry me" I blurt out.

I close my eyes, shit I fucked that up. I open my eyes and look at Ana who looks like a deer caught in the headlights. I reach into my pocket and produce the ring box and with shaking hands I open it so she can see the ring and her eyes widen even more as she looks at it.

"Baby, I love you. I love you more than life itself, and as such I don't want to go another minute without you knowing that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want it all with you Ana, I love you and I want us to be together forever. Anastasia Rose Steele will you do me the greatest honour in the world… will you marry me?" I ask and I wait.

I wait for what seems like an eternity as Ana just stares right back at me.

"Baby?" I ask nervously.

"You… you want to marry… me?" she says incredulously.

I reach out and cup her face with my hand, "more than anything" I say with complete sincerity.

I watch as tears fill her eyes and then she gives me a little nod.

My heart leaps, fuck was that a yes? "Was that a yes baby?" I ask her nervously.

She nods again, "Yes, it was a yes" she mumbles. I almost fall in the floor with relief and before she can say anything else, I pull the ring out of the box and push it on to her finger. Then rising to my feet, I pull her up and engulf her in my arms in a relieved hug.

She wraps her arms around me and I nuzzle against her and she responds by turning towards me. I don't hesitate and I kiss her soundly.

When I eventually pull away, we are both panting and gasping for breath and then I see Ana is crying. "Baby?" I ask as I run my thumb over her cheek and brush away the tears.

She gestures to her face, "happy tears" she says simply and then she holds out her hand in front of her and looks at the ring.

"Do you like it? If you don't we can get you something else" I say.

Ana looks up at me and I see a brilliant smile filling her face, her eyes are shining with happiness "I love it" she whispers and she wraps her arms around me and I close my eyes and just hold her close.

**oooOOOooo**

When we leave the restaurant hand in hand, Jason is waiting for us outside beside the car, he glances at Ana's hand and then smiles at us.

"Congratulations to you both" he says simply.

I can't stop grinning I feel elated, "thanks Jason" I say as we climb into the car.

Once inside I call my mom, the phone rings out and eventually she answers.

"Hello" she says.

I quickly put the call on speaker so Ana can hear and then I speak.

"Hi mom, it's me… guess what?" I say.

"Oh hello Christian, what?" she says.

"I asked Ana to marry me and she said yes" I say.

My mom squeals so loudly I'm glad the call is on speaker or she would've deafened me and I let out a small snort of laughter.

"Oh Christian that's wonderful, hang on… DAN! DAN! DAN… Where the fuck is that man?! **DAN!**" I snigger as I hear my mom calling for my dad.

"What's up?" I hear my father and my smile just gets bigger.

"Hello?" I hear my dad's confused greeting.

"Hi dad, it's me. I'm just calling to tell you both that I asked Ana to marry me tonight and she said yes" I say.

"What? Really, fucking hell! Wow! I mean… yeah wow, congratulations son, congratulations to you both".

"Thanks dad" I say.

Ana is grinning widely as she listens to my parents totally losing it on the other end of the line.

"Where are you now?" my dad asks after a moment.

"We are in the car on the way back to Escala and I should also mention you are on speaker so Ana has also heard everything, not to mention Jason who is driving us home" I say.

"Hi" Ana calls, and there is a deathly silence for a moment, as they both realise that everything they have said has been heard.

"Hello Ana, congratulations sweetheart" my mom calls.

"Yeah congratulations, does Ray know?" my dad asks.

I watch as Ana's smile slips a little, "Erm… I'm just about to call him and tell him" Ana says.

"Well I'll let you go, congratulations to you both and Christian make sure you make time to bring yourself and your fiancée here for dinner soon so we can celebrate this properly" my mom says.

"Yes mom" I say and I roll my eyes, as I realise that will mean dinner with the entire family.

"Goodnight darling and congratulations once again, I am so proud of you" my mom says and I swallow a big lump in my throat.

"Thanks mom, bye for now" I say and then I hang up.

I turn towards Ana, "Everything ok baby?" I ask and she nods as she reaches for her phone.

She dials Ray's number with a slightly shaky hand and I also notice she doesn't put the call on speaker. Is she really worried about this?

I watch as she waits, and then I listen to the one-sided conversation.

"Hi daddy… yeah I'm good, I'm just in Seattle with Christian… yeah, after we left you we flew to Seattle and Christian took me to this company he is buying… it's a publishing company… yes… and he offered me a job there… he's going to overhaul it and he wants me to help him do it… yeah it is… a massive opportunity… yeah… I said yes of course, I'm not going to turn down that sort of opportunity… and dad, he also asked me something else… we went out for dinner tonight… and… he asked me to marry him and I said yes… yes… I did… I do… no, there was no doubt in my mind I was doing the right thing… I love him dad, yes he is… hang on" she holds out the phone to me, "Ray wants to talk to you" she says.

I nod and take the phone from her, "Hello Ray" I say with more confidence than I am feeling at this moment.

"Hello son, so you want to marry Annie?" he says.

"I do, very much so" I say.

"Well, since she met you, I have never seen her so happy. You have put a twinkle in her eye which had been missing for years. That being said, if you ever… ever hurt her I swear I will kill you and that is not an idle threat, I was in the military for years".

I swallow hard, I am under no illusions that he is deadly serious and I know whatever I say next will matter, "I understand that Sir and I would expect no less, but I assure you I have no intention of ever hurting her" I say and wait for his response.

There is a long silence and then eventually Ray speaks again, "Alright… well I know my Annie and she wouldn't say yes unless she was totally sure about you, so if she is sure about you then that's good enough for me, but just remember what I said. So congratulations to you both, I'm very pleased for you" he says.

"Thank you Ray, that means a lot to me… listen I have just told my parents and they are obviously overjoyed and my mom is organising a family dinner to celebrate, I'd be honoured if you would be there too" I say.

"That's very kind of you Christian, I'm sure I'll be hearing from your dad shortly about this as well" he says.

"Yeah I'm sure you will" I say.

"Listen I am really pleased for you both, now could you put me back on to Annie" he says.

I grin, "of course I can". I hold out the phone to Ana and she quickly takes it and listens, then I see a massive relieved smile fill her face.

"Yes, thank you dad… I will… I love you too dad… yes… bye dad".

She hangs up and pushes her phone away. I quickly text my mom and tell her I've invited Ray to the family dinner and I get a response back saying that she was going to invite him anyway. I feel the car come to a halt and I realise we are back at Escala.

After thanking Jason, we head up in the elevator hand in hand. As the doors open, we head into the apartment and I pull Ana towards me and kiss her again.

When we break apart, she is looking at me seriously.

"What?" I ask.

"Christian… I" she begins and then stops.

I hold her tightly, "what is it?" I ask her gently.

"I want to… I would like… I mean… I… can we… I want you" she says and she pulls me into her arms.

I freeze, is she asking what I think she is asking? Shit if I get this wrong and misread this, I need to know exactly what she is asking here.

"Baby, call me thick but what exactly are you asking me?" I say.

I watch as she bites her lip nervously, "I… I want you; I want us to go to bed together tonight" she whispers and I watch as she flushes bright red.

I lift her face up so her eyes meet mine and it breaks my heart as I can see the apprehension in her eyes, and I realise she is doing this because she thinks she has to.

"Baby, I want nothing more than to make love to you, but I'm going to say no. I'm saying no because I don't think you are ready; you are only saying this because you think you have to do this and believe me you don't. We _will_ make love, and we will make love when you are totally ready for me to do so, it doesn't matter if it is tonight, next week, next month or next year, alright?" I say.

Much to my surprise she shakes her head, "No I want to, I really want to. I love you Christian and I have wanted to do this for weeks and tonight seems to be the perfect night. Today I have agreed to work with you, tonight I have agreed to be your wife and now I am giving myself to you… completely, I want this Christian more than anything" she pauses and lifts her hand and cups my jaw, "please" she whispers.

I nod, "If you are sure" I say.

"I am" she replies.

I smile, "then come with me" I say gently and I take her by the hand and lead her into my… no _our _bedroom.


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHORS NOTE: I make a point of **_**not**_** responding to 'guest reviews' as if they don't have the guts to put their name to the bile they write so I can respond to them, they are not worth my time or effort. Plus, I refuse to highlight their inane rants or give them a platform for their seemingly desperate need for attention. However, I am making an exception in this case. **

**This authors note is specifically for the grammar, spelling and punctuation Nazi (or Nazi's, as surely the amount of criticism and rudeness I get can't just come from one person - but if it does then I really do feel sorry for you that you have nothing better to do with your time!) who has taken residence and who constantly nit-picks every last thing I write (except for somewhat ironically, 'Having The Last Word' which addressed this very problem, you were unnaturally quiet on that story!) My message to you is - please, just get a life! Have you paid for this story? No, it is free entertainment not something for you to anally go through with a fine-tooth comb and grade on its accuracy. I admit I make errors; nobody is perfect and I try hard to eradicate the errors I do make but with the best will in the world when I am proof-reading some will slip through and for that I do sincerely apologise. However, some of the issues you continually pick up on are insignificant oversights and not massive issues which make any real difference or spoil the story. You should also consider some things when criticising my punctuation, spelling and grammar. Please be aware that I am in the UK and as such we have DIFFERENT rules and spelling variations when it comes to these things. Your favourite constant gripe which you have pointed out ad nauseum, is that I put my full stops in the wrong place. No, I don't because in the UK we put full stops OUTSIDE, to the right of speech marks and not inside on the left as that is considered the end of the sentence. In the UK the first letter of the sentence inside speech marks does not have to be capitalised if it is only a partial sentence which, when I am writing dialogue nine times out of ten it is just that. I do admit sometimes typo's occur but in the big scheme of things does it really matter and will the world end because I have missed some? No, I don't think it will.**

**Your constant complaints about my British variation spelling is bordering on offensive and with that in mind I could pick **_**you**_** up on your spelling of 'capitalization' in your latest whinge; arguing that it should be spelt with an S rather than a Z and that maybe **_**you**_** should consider consulting a dictionary before you type anything or learn how to use a spell checker. I could narrow-mindedly argue that it is **_**you**_** who has made a mistake and cannot spell considering English has been spoken and written in England longer than anywhere else but I won't, because it is rude and offensive to say something like that ****and despite you constantly questioning to the contrary I **_**am**_** intelligent and educated enough to know that different countries have different rules and spelling variations. ** **I know I use British terminology at times which confuses some people and despite my best efforts some of my more provincial ****colloquialisms**** do sometimes creep into my stories. So, all I will say is if my writing is so bad and offends you so completely then don't read it! There is a big difference between offering constructive criticism and just being annoyingly anal. I welcome it when people point out genuine errors which I may've missed, the difference is these people sign in and message me privately and are not afraid to put their name to their comments so I could thank them personally for their input, they are polite and offer constructive advice and don't hide behind anonymity to just make rude, belittling and sometimes insulting remarks for their own warped gratification.**

**Apologies to all my loyal supportive readers who have had to scroll through all that but I have just had enough of inane comments about my 'lack of education'. Rant over, now let's get back to the story.**

CHAPTER 10

Ana's words have shocked me; I can't believe that she has been thinking about this for a few weeks. I am assuming that going to the therapy has encouraged her to think about it and given her the courage to take this massive step. I am so overjoyed and so proud of her that she wants this but I have never been so terrified as I am at the moment as the last thing I want to do is trigger her. This is also her first time, so I want it to be good for her. I have been with other women and I have never had any complaints before, but this… this is a big responsibility for me.

I look at the bed and then at Ana who is staring at it, I feel her grip my hand tightly and I know despite her words and her bravado she is afraid.

"Baby, we don't have to" I begin but she shakes her head.

"No, I really want to" she says.

As I look at the bed inspiration hits me, I'm going to let Ana take the lead. I reach for her and pull her into my arms and as her fingers reach for my shirt. I see they are shaking slightly and I cover her hands with mine.

"There is no rush, we have all night" I say quietly and she nods.

I take my time with her, kissing her and touching her and as she responds to my touch I reach for my top button on my shirt and start to undo it. Ana watches and then takes over and I watch her as she unfastens it and after unfastening all the others, she carefully pushes my shirt off my shoulders. She gasps as her eyes travel over my body. I know she has seen me shirtless before but tonight there is something different as she almost drinks me in. Her hands touch my chest and she runs them down the length of my body and I groan as I feel myself harden. She looks down and sees my straining fly and I watch as she swallows hard.

"Ignore that until you are completely ready" I say and she nods. But much to my surprise she reaches for my pants button and zipper and slowly unfastens them. I keep my eyes on her watching as she pushes my pants down and as they pool at my feet, I step out of them. I reach down and grabbing them I throw them to one side and slip off my socks. I am now standing here in just my boxer shorts and I am obviously very aroused.

Ana is still completely clothed and I think this is what is giving her the confidence to do this as she knows that she is calling all the shots. She looks up at me and then turns around silently giving me permission to unzip her dress. I do so and wait, and I watch as she hesitantly pushes the dress from her shoulders and lets it fall to the floor. She is just standing there in simple white cotton panties and a bra as she steps out of the dress. I reach down and pick it up and throw it so it lands on top of my pants. Rising to my feet I gently place my hands on her shoulders and turn her to face me. As I do so her arms automatically come up and she tries to cover herself.

"Baby you are beautiful, don't hide you have no reason to hide" I whisper and I lean forward and kiss her.

Her arms slowly move and she reaches for me, her hands move over my chest once more and I carefully wrap my arms around her and pull her towards me.

"We are going to take this really, really slowly ok? You are the one in charge and we go at your pace" I say carefully and Ana nods. I watch as she takes a deep breath and unfastens her bra and lets it fall to the ground. I can't take my eyes off her, she is stunning.

"Can I touch you?" I whisper and she nods. I slowly lift my hands to cup her breasts and I run my thumb over her nipples, I watch as gooseflesh ripples over her skin and she shivers, but she also lets out a little sigh. I am watching every reaction carefully to make sure she isn't afraid and it is obvious that she liked that, so I do it again and this time I hear a small quiet moan. I lower my head and carefully kiss one of her breasts and run my tongue over the nipple then I look up to see if she was ok with that. She is staring at me with almost a look of awe on her face.

"That was nice… can you do that again please?" she whispers and I smile and I do the same to the other breast. I feel her push herself towards me and emboldened by that move I take her breast into my mouth and suck on the nipple. She gasps and I feel her hands ball into fists.

I let go and check her reaction and I see she has an almost dreamy look in her eyes. I am now painfully hard and I reach down to adjust myself, but as I do so I see her take a step back.

"It's ok baby, I'm just making some adjustments" I say with a grin. She nods but still watches me warily. I need to get these boxer shorts off but I don't want her to panic. Then inspiration hits me, I step away from her completely and go and sit on the bed. I take off my boxer shorts, reach into the bedside drawer and pull out a condom and place it on the table and then I lie down on the bed.

"Ok baby, it's up to you now. Whatever you want to do, I'm right here waiting" I say and I watch her carefully as she studies me. Then slowly she makes her way towards me. Her eyes are glued to my erection and she swallows hard. But she is in control, I'm not going to do anything other than lie here and let her explore me in her own time.

"You are in complete control baby; you say what we do and when we do it" I say as she moves closer. This seems to embolden her and she climbs on to the bed next to me. Hesitantly she reaches for me and touches me. My hips instinctively rise and I let out a moan and she quickly pulls away her hand.

"I'm sorry" she whispers and I reach for her hand.

"No baby, that felt nice. As you can see, I am really aroused so any touch no matter how small is going to affect me as it's very sensitive" I say. This seems to give her confidence to try again and she wraps her hand around me and runs her thumb over the crown. I groan and my hips flex again. I feel the pre-cum leaking out and I just enjoy watching Ana explore me.

After a moment she moves away and pulls off her panties and looks at me. But I shake my head.

"Baby you can't just jump on me without any foreplay or it will really hurt you" I say. She nods and I turn on my side to face her and I reach for her breast again as I know she is happy with me doing that, I also run my hands all over her beautiful body which makes her shiver once again.

I feel her flexing her hips towards me and moaning as I pay close attention to her breasts.

"Can I check you to see if you are ready for me?" I ask and after a momentary hesitation she nods.

I carefully let my hand slide down her body and between her legs, I feel her stiffen slightly and I begin to pepper small sweet kisses down her stomach and on to her thighs. She moans and her legs part slightly for me. I smile as I lower my head and I can smell her arousal. I continue to kiss her and then I touch her with my finger. She jumps violently and I pause.

"Shh baby, it's ok" I whisper and she nods at me.

"Ok, can I touch you?" I ask and she nods again.

I carefully run my finger between her legs and I can feel straight away she is soaking. Carefully and slowly I slip one finger just inside her, all the while watching her reaction. Her eyes widen and I find her clitoris and slowly rub my finger against it. I would love to lean down and kiss her but I fear this might be a step too far for her at this stage so I just continue touching her with my finger.

"Oh god" she moans and I smile.

"Ok?" I ask and she nods.

"Oh that… don't stop" she gasps.

"I won't baby, I won't" I say, I know I could do much more and make her come quicker but I want to keep it simple and not overwhelm her too much and so I keep up a slow steady rhythm and I start to feel her orgasm building until she lets out a cry and I feel her shuddering.

"Did you enjoy that?" I whisper and she nods furiously.

She looks at me as I move away and lie down and wait. I am silently begging her to do this as I'm screaming for release, but I wait as she needs to be the one to do this.

She moves closer and looks at me, "How?" she whispers.

I hold out my hands, "if you want this then you need that condom, roll it on me and then straddle me and gently lower yourself down. Remember that you will be in complete control" I say.

I watch her as she hesitates and then reaches for the condom and opens it. She smiles as she takes it out of the foil.

"We did this in health education at school, we put one of these on a cucumber" she whispers and then giggles. That giggle makes my heart leap, as that tells me she is happy about this and I watch her as she carefully puts the condom on me and as she runs her hand over me, I nearly come there and then.

Once the condom is on Ana looks at her handywork and then looks at me, I can see apprehension there and I'm afraid that she is going to back out and change her mind.

"Ana talk to me" I say gently.

She points at it "It's big" she mutters and I grin smugly but then I realise, that is what's bothering her.

"It'll fit baby; you'll stretch to take it. I will say because it's your first time, it may be a bit uncomfortable at first but we'll take it really slowly and you will be in complete control at all times, do you still want to do this?" I ask, praying that she does.

She licks her lips and nods. I nearly sag with relief; I keep my eyes on her and I see the determination on her face as she takes a deep breath and straddles me. I grasp her hands to steady her as she slowly lowers herself. I reach down with one hand to hold myself as she slowly lowers herself on to me. I feel the head of my penis slip inside her and I let out a small groan. I watch her carefully as she slowly lowers. Then I feel the resistance, her eyes widen and I know she feels it too and I feel her stiffen.

"Take your time baby, I promise you it will only hurt the first time, but just try and relax as that will help" I say and I feel her move slightly and to her credit she does try and relax as she lowers a bit more and she grips my hand as I feel myself tear through. She lets out a small gasp and tries to shift slightly. Then she lowers some more and finally I am fully sheathed inside her and the feeling is exquisite. I feel her try and move but I hold her in place and shake my head.

"Just wait, just stay still and get used to me being there" I say and she nods.

It feels so good, she is so tight she is gripping like a vice and it is taking all of my self-control not to thrust my hips upwards into her.

"Ok?" I ask and she nods.

"Are you ok?" she whispers and I nod.

"Oh god baby you have no idea how good this feels to me" I say and I watch as that seems to give her confidence.

"I think I'd like to move now" she whispers and I nod.

I guide her so she is moving up and down me and I help her set a slow steady rhythm. I start to move and meet her with my own thrusts and I watch as she loses herself in this moment. It makes me so happy to see her so visibly enjoying herself and as for me, well… this feels totally amazing, it was definitely worth the wait.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god" she mumbles and I feel her insides begin to tremble as she grips me and I know she is close to orgasm.

"It's ok baby, let it come" I say as I continue to thrust into her, I am so close that I am hoping we come together. "Baby, I'm going to come" I whisper and I thrust deeply just as she throws back her head and cries out. I hold her down on me as I feel her clamp around me like a vice and her muscles rhythmically milk me, I let myself let go and I let out a loud groan as I come violently.

She opens her eyes and they widen as she feels me twitching and pulsing inside her.

"Ooh" she says and I smile.

"Can you feel what you do to me?" I say as I hold her in place as I just keep coming.

Finally, we both relax and she looks down, "How?" she whispers and I smile.

"When you are ready, just rise up slowly" I say and as she does so I feel myself sliding out of her. I grip myself to hold the condom on as she lifts herself off me and then she flops beside me.

Once she is clear I remove the condom and tying it I drop it unceremoniously on to the floor at the side of the bed and turn toward Ana.

She is watching me carefully and I hold open my arms, she doesn't hesitate and shuffles towards me.

"How was that for you baby?" I ask slightly nervously.

"It was nice, I liked it" she says, then she looks up at me, "what about you?" she whispers.

I let out a snort, "Did you not see what was in that condom I pulled off?" I ask and she flushes and lowers her head.

I lift her chin and press a kiss to her lips, "It was perfect baby, absolutely perfect. Thank you" I say.

**oooOOOooo**

I wake up to the sun streaming in through the windows and glance at the clock before turning towards the beautiful woman lying sleeping soundly next to me. I lean forward and kiss her forehead and I feel her rouse and she opens her eyes and looks up at me.

"Good morning beautiful" I say as I push her hair back and press another small kiss to her lips.

"Mmm" she moans and then she shuffles towards me. I am already semi hard but as our bodies touch, I turn to stone. Ana notices and looks down.

"Ignore it, it will go away" I say.

"What if I don't want to?" she whispers and much to my surprise she reaches down and touches me.

"Baby" I say but she continues to stroke me.

She looks up at me, "I love you and last night… it released something for me, I'm not sure how to explain it. You were so patient with me and what we did, it was like it healed something and you made me feel beautiful. You helped me see that being intimate was a beautiful thing and not something dirty and scary".

I smile at her and pull her close, "and as much as I'd love a repeat performance you are going to be sore this morning so we are going to take it easy" I say.

"What if… what if we do it without a condom?" she asks and I stare at her in surprise and I shake my head adamantly.

"Baby, that would be the height of irresponsibility" I say as I recall my dad's and granddads consistent and unending warnings of always using birth control and not to be stupid and irresponsible like they were.

Ana smiles at me, "I know the reason why you are saying that, your mom told me how old she was when she fell pregnant with you but I am on the pill. I take it for my cycle… it regulates me, so I am covered" she says.

"Oh I see" I say, "well in that case" I add. I move closer and begin to caress her and I feel her moan and press herself against me.

"Would you like to try a different position?" I ask carefully.

She looks up at me and nods, "Ok, but I don't want to lie on my stomach" she says and I see the lingering fear as she says that.

I shake my head, "No baby, that would be too big a step yet" I say. I continue to pepper her body with kisses and I reach down and caress between her legs and I feel her part them to allow me access.

"Would you be ok if I was on top of you?" I ask and she thinks about that but doesn't answer but she slowly moves on to her back and looks up at me. The trust she is putting in me is overwhelming and I move carefully and slowly between her legs.

"If you want me to stop at any point just say stop" I say and she nods.

I make sure she is totally ready for me before I make my move and lower myself down on her. "Look at me baby" I say hoarsely as I take my penis in my hand and run it between her legs.

She moans and opens her legs wider and that is all the confirmation I needed that she is really ok with this. I look down and gently feed myself into her. I let out an involuntary shudder and gasp as I slowly enter her. I have never been inside a woman bare before and it feels absolutely amazing.

"Oh fuck" I say as I feel her around me.

I roll my hips as I work my way inside her and I hear her moan.

"Oh god Christian that feels so different" she whispers.

"It feels amazing" I whisper as I start to slowly move. I set a steady rhythm and keep it simple, as I thrust Ana starts to lift her hips and she meets my thrusts with her own.

I reach down and caress her breasts as I continue to move, I feel her hands moving restlessly on my back and her legs tightening around my waist.

I keep the steady pace going aware that she must be a bit sore after last night and I keep watching her for any signs that she is feeling any discomfort. I smile as I start to feel the first signs of her orgasm as she starts to moan a bit louder and twitch a little. Her inside begins to grip me even tighter and it nearly makes me come there and then.

"Oh god" she whispers and I grin as I remember her calling out last night.

"Just let it come" I whisper and I feel as her breathing becomes more laboured, her thrusts get jerkier and her moans get louder.

"Oh god Christian I'm going to come" she cries and I feel it as her orgasm hits her. That feeling pushes me over the edge and I thrust deeply twice more and hold myself inside her as I empty myself with a loud groan. I see her eyes widen as she feels my hot semen filling her and after a moment I sit up on to my knees and pull her into my lap. I am still lodged deep inside her as I sit up and wrap my arms tightly around her. She grips me and holds me as we both recover.

"Wow" she whispers and I smile.

"Wow indeed" I reply.

I have no idea how long we both sit like that but as I feel my legs starting to go dead I gently try and move.

"We should get up and take a shower" I say and she nods and reluctantly begins to move. I feel myself slide out of her and as I do so a large amount of semen pours from her. As we both stand up we see the red blood stain on the sheets from last night and Ana flushes.

"Oh god, I'm sorry" she says and I pull her towards me and I shake my head.

"Baby, why are you apologising? You have nothing to be sorry about, that is blood you can only lose once and the fact you trusted me enough to gift it to me, makes me honoured and proud to see that" I say.

As we take our shower, together to save time of course. An idea comes to me, we are engaged, Ana has agreed to marry me so…

"Ana, move in with me?" I blurt out.

I feel her pause and she looks up at me, the sponge in her hand hovering over my chest.

"What?" she asks.

"Move in with me, live with me. You have agreed to marry me so you will be living with me eventually so move in with me now" I say.

"But… Kate" she begins.

"Kate will have to find someone else to be her housekeeper, because I'm telling you Ana that is what you would be" I say.

Ana sighs and nods as she accepts what I am saying is the truth. I watch as she thinks about it and then nods, "Alright" she says.

"You will?" I ask and she smiles and nods again.

"I will" she replies.

**oooOOOooo**

I watch as Ana moves around the kitchen with practiced ease. I sip my coffee and watch as she makes some pancakes for breakfast.

"You know I could've done that" I say as I watch her but she simply smiles at me. "Mom taught me to be self-sufficient and although my culinary skills are somewhat hit and miss I've not starved or burnt the apartment down up to this point".

"I'm sure you could, and I don't doubt your cooking prowess for one moment" she replies, "but I _wanted_ to do it" she adds.

She places the pancakes in front of me and leans forward to kiss me, "I like cooking and I love cooking for my fiancé" she whispers and I can't help but grin at her words.

She sits down beside me and I watch as she cuts up a banana on to her pancakes and then smothers them with syrup.

"You like a bit of pancake with your syrup?" I say dryly and she laughs.

"So, what are your plans for today baby?" I ask and Ana pauses and thinks.

"Well, I need to get back to Portland and tell Kate about the change of plans, and then I suppose I need to transport my things to Seattle somehow, I think I'll have to call my dad" she says.

"Hang on I know who I can call" I say as I reach for my phone and call my dad as I know he would help and we could borrow the business van.

"Hello" my dad says after a couple of rings.

"Hi dad, it's me. Listen, I'm looking for a favour?" I say.

"Go on" my dad says.

"Would it be possible for us to use the van to transport Ana's belongings from Portland to Seattle?" I ask.

"Sure, no problem. I'll call your granddad – when do you want it?" he asks.

"Well I know it's short notice but Ana is here with me now and she was hoping to move today at some point" I say.

"No problem, we have the Marsden job to finish off this morning, but that's all as it's pretty much done. After today we are going to be pretty busy as we are booked up so that works out well. Where is she moving to?" my dad asks.

"Here with me" I say.

There is a silence and then my dad speaks again, "I thought she was moving in with her friend?" he says.

I let out a small snort, "let's just say circumstances have changed and Ana realises that moving in with Kate would probably not be a good idea".

"Ok, well it's none of my business, and you two are engaged" he says.

I let out another snort, "and I would leave it there dad before you sound like a total hypocrite as don't forget you and mom lived together and had me before you got married" I retort.

I hear my dad chuckle, "point taken" he says eventually. "Anyway, let me call your grandfather and I'll get back to you with a rough time when we can do this" he adds, changing the subject.

"Thanks dad" I say gratefully.

We say our goodbyes and I hang up. Ana is watching and she smiles at me.

"So, that's all sorted, until dad and granddad show up with the van to take you to Portland why don't you come with me to Harper House and see where you will be working?" I say. Ana nods enthusiastically and seems quite excited by the prospect and I am eager to show her around and show her off.


	11. Chapter 11

**AUTHORS NOTE: Alright then, where do I start…? I am more than slightly overwhelmed by the support received after my unhinged rant at the beginning of the previous chapter! Apologies once again for making the all people who it doesn't apply to have to scroll through it, before reaching the story. Also, a massive thank you for your continued support and positive feedback for this story. I am totally shocked by the response it has received and to date it is now my most popular story with 113 people favouring it, (the first of all my stories to reach triple figures which just blows my mind) and 231 people adding it to their followed stories list. I never ever expected such an overwhelming reaction to a story which I was convinced was too superficial and lacking any real story at all. So, I sincerely thank you all.**

CHAPTER 11

**(DANIEL)**

As my dad and I load the van with Ana's belongings, I am forcibly reminded of the evening we loaded Ella's belongings into a very similar albeit older van and got her away from her awful parents. We are even getting barbed comments and abuse thrown at us for doing this. Well Ana is, her roommate isn't taking the news too well that Ana isn't going to be moving in with her after all and she is behaving quite badly as a result.

She has already offloaded a torrent of abuse, calling Ana a number of choice names. Ana to her credit hasn't bitten and responded. I am impressed with her the way she is keeping her cool, maintaining the moral high ground and just ignoring the rants. This seems to be upsetting the girl even more, she is clearly someone who doesn't like to be ignored and also someone who always wants their own way. I catch my dad's attention and he shakes his head at the scene we are witnessing.

"Why are you doing this Ana? You were supposed to be coming to live with me, what am I going to do?" her roommate says, she is changing tack as the screaming and abuse isn't having any effect and now it seems she is going for a guilt trip. My dad looks at me as he hears this and rolls his eyes in disgust.

"You'll be fine Kate, it's not as if I was going to be paying you rent, the apartment is bought and paid for, your dad saw to that" Ana says simply.

"No, but how am I supposed to cope on my own? You know I can't cook and I hate household chores" she says.

I glance at my dad again and his eyebrows are now raised in astonishment at what she has just said, this girl clearly only asked Ana to move in with her so she could use her to cook and clean for her. I look at Ana and I see the hurt expression on her face as she realises it too. If this was her attempt at a guilt trip or persuasion to make Ana change her mind then it obviously isn't working, as telling someone they are only needed to be an unpaid cook and housekeeper isn't going to give them any advantage whatsoever.

"I'm sorry Kate but I'm not just here to look after you, hire a housekeeper if that is all you need" Ana says with more than a little bite to her words.

The girl huffs and returns to being abusive, "You're not here at all as far as I can see, you selfish bitch! I was relying on you to pack up my stuff for me yesterday and yet you bailed on me and now you are telling me that you are not going to live with me" she retorts.

I watch as Ana's eyes harden and her hands move to her hips, "Oh yeah, so selfish even though I was under the impression I was _helping_ you pack, meaning you would also be there participating - not doing it for you and what about the small fact that you were bailing on me to go to a party?" Ana snaps.

Kate obviously has no response to that so she just huffs again and sulks like a child, but Ana is on a roll now.

"So, according to you I was _selfish_ because I _bailed _on you to go for a job interview? Despite the fact you actually bailed on me first to go to a party, something which I wouldn't have even known about had I not seen you in the street yesterday. If I hadn't been offered that interview, I would've been packing up _your_ stuff alone in the apartment while you were out partying, so taking all that into consideration who exactly is the selfish one here?" Ana says as she puts air quotes around the words selfish and bailed and she also emphasises the word 'your'. The sarcasm is now also dripping from her words. Kate takes a shot look at me and my dad and must see our looks of total disgust as she doesn't say anything else, she just simply shrugs.

"Yes… well, when you put it like that" she huffs after a moment.

But Ana isn't having any of it and she is in full flow now. "Just out of interest, my selfishness yesterday got me the job… oh and thanks so much for asking me how it went" she says. I smile as that barbed remark hits the mark and the girl flushes, she realises she has nowhere to go now and all she can do is now stand and take what Ana throws at her. I return my attention back to Ana who it seems is nowhere near finished yet with her tirade.

"So, it was worth me going - more worthwhile than being your slave" Ana adds, "I have been given a massive opportunity, and one which I would've missed had I decided to stay here and run around after you instead. I thought we were friends Kate, but it is blatantly obvious that I was never your friend. You just looked upon me as an unpaid housemaid and cook, well no more Kate find yourself another mug".

With that Ana picks up the remaining bags and marches past me and throws them into the van.

I watch Kate and her stunned expression changes and I wonder what she is going to do or say now as she comes up to Ana and smiles at her.

"So where are you going to be living then?" she asks rather smugly.

Ana doesn't even bother to turn and face her, "I don't see that is any of your business… not with you, that's all you need to know" she retorts.

Kate snorts, "well wherever you end up it won't be as nice as the apartment you could've lived in had you stayed with me, think about that when you climb off your high horse" she replies nastily.

At that Ana spins on the spot and smiles sweetly at Kate, "Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that Kate" she says with a saccharine sweet tone. I see Kate's face fall as she says this and then her expression changes to one of intense curiosity. She is desperate to know where Ana is going to be living.

Ana sees this and smiles again then with a flourish she waves her hand at Kate and gives her an eyeful of the beautiful engagement ring she is wearing. I'm actually quite surprised that girl hadn't spotted it before now, but she was so wrapped up in berating Ana for not wanting to live with her anymore she never noticed it.

"I'm moving in with my fiancé, but as I say it's not really any of your business" she says. I watch as Kate quickly puts two and two together.

"Christian Harper asked you to marry him?!" she asks incredulously. I step in at this point as I don't want her upsetting Ana anymore. I also see my dad step up and stand beside Ana and whisper something in her ear.

"Yeah, my son asked Ana to marry him and we are all so happy for them. You can send the engagement card to the penthouse apartment at Escala, but don't bother with a gift as my son has everything covered!" I say and I hear Ana let out a small giggle at that.

I almost see the jealousy oozing from Kate as she hears this.

"Christian Harper is really your fiancé?" she questions and I see she has her eyes fixed on Ana's ring.

Ana nods, "Christian asked me to marry him and I said yes" she says. Before Kate can answer she turns to me.

"I'm ready to go when you are, and thank you both so much for doing this today" she says.

My dad wraps his arm around her and tells her it is our pleasure and that she doesn't need to thank us as she is family now. She flushes slightly at his words and he leads her to the front of the van which he helps her climb into and then I hear him speak to her.

"You are better off without people like her in your life. She was no friend to you" he says.

I turn towards the girl who is standing there now looking somewhat lost as it is dawning on her that Ana is really going and doesn't need her. She also must've heard everything my dad said and I can't help but add my own two cents worth.

"You really are a selfish entitled brat aren't you? You have no idea what a lovely girl you could've had as a friend if you had only behaved properly and decently. She however, faces no loss at extracting you from her life. A word of advice to you, the world does not revolve around you" I say, and with that I turn and walk towards the van. My dad is in the driver's seat and I climb in next to Ana.

"Are you ok sweetheart?" I ask and she nods.

"I thought she was my friend. Christian warned me about her, he told me repeatedly that she was only using me and he was right" she says sadly.

I wrap my arm around her, "hey come on… with friends like her and all that" I say and I see Ana give me a small smile. I nudge her with my shoulder.

"You can do better than that" I say and her smile gets bigger.

"That's better" I say. I turn towards my dad, "well what are you waiting for dad, let's go!"

The drive to Seattle is a pleasant one, we have the radio playing and we are all singing along with the songs that are playing. Ana seems to be much happier now and has got over the unpleasantness of earlier.

"So… have you set a date yet?" my dad asks as a song ends.

Ana looks at him and shakes her head. "No, it's all been a bit of a whirlwind actually. I mean I know we have been friends for a long time, it's been over a year. I was in my penultimate year at university when I first met him at Ray's. But we have officially been a couple for such a short amount of time, even though I have known that I loved him for much longer. It was only about three months ago that Christian told me he loved me and it's not yet 24 hours since he asked me to marry him. In the space of a day I graduated, got offered the career of a lifetime and much more than I ever aspired to, and gained a fiancé".

She pauses and looks down at the ring on her finger.

"What sort of wedding would you like?" I ask carefully as I remember the simple ceremony at City Hall in Detroit which Ella and I had.

Ana shrugs, "I'd like something quiet and simple, just family. I'm not sure if that would be possible though, considering the standing Christian now has. There would be expectations of something big and lavish" she says.

I smile kindly, "that boy would fly you to Vegas tonight and marry you if that was what you wanted. Christian doesn't care about what is expected, all he cares about is your happiness. He remembers his roots and where he came from. If you want small and simple, I guarantee he will be fine with that" I say.

It's late afternoon when we eventually arrive back in Seattle and as we pull into the underground car park at Escala I spot a familiar car pull in behind us and then park up beside us. I nudge Ana and point as Christian is out the car before it has fully stopped and is rounding the van and opening the door.

"Brilliant timing son, you can help us unload the van" I say with a grin as Christian opens the door.

"Don't worry I will, and Jason is here to help as well" he adds pointing at the man in a suit climbing out of the car.

I push Christian out of the way so I can get out of the van, "shift yourself then and let me out" I say and Christian grins at me before moving aside. I watch as he moves back and holds out his hand to Ana to help her out of the van.

"Hi baby, are you ok?" he asks and she beams at him and nods.

"She's fine now she's out of the orbit of that selfish bitch she shared house-space with" my dad says as he rounds the van and joins us.

Christian looks at me questioningly and then at Ana who puts her head down.

"You were totally right about her Christian; she said some awful things when I told her I wasn't moving in with her anymore. She practically admitted she only wanted me there as an unpaid skivvy to cook and clean for her" she mutters.

I watch Christian wrap his arms around Ana and pull her close, offering her comfort and love.

"What did she say?" he asks after a moment as he looks at me and then at my dad.

My dad quickly fills him in on what was said and how bitchy that girl was.

"I was forcibly reminded of the night your Uncle Tony and I helped your dad remove your mom from her parents' house, it wasn't quite as abusive and horrific as that night, but there were definitely parallels. She didn't want Ana to go so she thought the best way to behave was to throw tantrums and hurl abuse at her" he says sadly.

Ana looks up at Christian and whispers his name and he immediately focusses his full attention on her. "She knows about us. She got all bitchy saying that wherever I was moving to wouldn't be as nice as the apartment I could've lived in with her, and I just snapped and I told her that she shouldn't be so sure about that as I was moving in with my fiancé, and your dad told her to send her engagement card to the penthouse apartment at Escala". Ana pauses as Christian glances at me with amusement and I just shrug, but he quickly returns his attention back to Ana as she continues.

"I'm sorry Christian, with her journalism contacts it's going to be all out there before you had chance to announce it". She looks worried but Christian just grins; he shakes his head and pushes back her hair from her face and then plants a small sweet kiss on her lips.

"Hey, that's fine don't worry about it. As long as whatever she says is accurate, I don't have a problem with the world knowing that I'm in love and getting married, everyone who matters already knows. If she says anything negative or untruthful, I'll set my attorneys on her and she won't know what's hit her" he says. Then to emphasise that fact he winks at her and then I watch as he pulls his phone from his pocket and dials.

"Hi Carrick, it's Christian. Just a quick heads up. I got engaged yesterday… thank you… anyway the reason I am calling is this news may be leaked to the media, and it may be done out of spite after an altercation Ana had with her former roommate. If any inaccurate or libellous stories appear I'm going to need you to lean on those concerned to retract them and failing that make them wish they'd never published them… thanks Carrick, it was a Kate Kavanagh… yes she is the daughter of '_that_' Kavanagh… yes I am aware of that but she was rather verbally abusive to my fiancé in front of witnesses so if she tries anything then I want her brought down… Oh yes, thanks for reminding me, yes I'll have Andrea fit you in tomorrow you can drop by… no problem, thanks Carrick, yes, bye for now".

Christian hangs up and Ana is staring at him in amazement, "you have _the_ Carrick Grey on speed-dial? As in Carrick Grey, the Grey of Grey & Mortimer? That man is well known throughout the States as a top litigator" she says.

Christian nods, "I do, he is my personal attorney. Mom has known his wife Grace for years, she trained with her when she was training to be a doctor back in Detroit and Grace helped her get out of Texas by finding her a position at the hospital here in Seattle. Carrick stepped in and helped mom out when she pressed harassment charges against Greg Nicholls - a doctor back in Texas, which was the reason she left there and moved here. He took the case pro bono as mom and Grace were old friends. As soon as the hospital got wind of the fact that the number one litigator in the North West of the United States was on the case, they pretty much crumbled and threw Nicholls under the bus. When I moved Harper Enterprise Holdings to Seattle from Detroit, I approached him to become my personal attorney and he is also one of several business attorneys I have".

"Wow" Ana says and I wonder if she really has any idea just how wealthy my son is. It is hard to get your head around as he is so down to earth and humble. He never forgets where he came from and he doesn't behave like a stereotypical billionaire.

**oooOOOooo**

It doesn't take long to unload the van as Ana has very few belongings and I watch as she takes them all into the bedroom. I pick up a box and follow her. I don't say anything as I watch her as she hesitates as she looks at the huge closet and then at the bags and boxes of clothes. She pushes them to one side and then opens a box of nic-nacks. She pulls out a framed photo of her and Ray and looks around the room before pushing it back into the box again. I silently leave her and leave the room to find my son.

"Christian" I say as I watch him talking with my dad. He turns and smiles at me.

I walk up to him and place my hand on his shoulder, "You might want to go into your room and offer Ana a bit of reassurance" I say and I see his face fall as I say it.

"Why? Is she ok?" he asks with obvious concern.

"I think she's a bit overwhelmed son, I've just watched her look at your closet and not even attempt to unpack her clothes, then she pulled out a photo of her and Ray and she looked around the room before just pushing it back into the box. She's feeling out of her depth, and I think she needs you to reassure her".

Christian nods and immediately leaves us and goes to his bedroom. My dad watches him go and then turns and speaks to me.

"She's a lovely girl. You know Dan, she reminds me so much of Ella and not just in looks. I mean physically she resembles her with that long brunette hair and petite stature but also by the way she behaves as well, and she's smart too".

I nod, "Yeah I thought that the first time I met her, he's been in love with her for years but only finally got the balls to say something recently".

"She loves him too, that much is obvious. I don't have to put your mom on standby for news of a great grandbaby any time soon do I?" my dad asks and I laugh and shake my head.

"Dad, they have been friends for four years, they have been a couple for about three months and while it is obvious, they only have eyes for each other my boy has far more common sense than either of us ever had. I was 17 when I got Ella pregnant… and while we are on that subject, how old were you exactly when you got mom pregnant with me?" my dad grins at me as I say that.

"Point taken, son" he says simply, but I continue to speak.

"We were both stupid kids lead and ruled by our hormones and thinking with our dicks. He's nearly 28 now and while I'm certain that great grandbaby you spoke of _will _happen it will be planned and happen when they are ready for it to do so, plus Ana is very young she's only 21 and she has ambitions so I'm certain we won't be hearing the patter of tiny feet any time soon. However, I'm also sure that he and Ana will make Ella and I grandparents and you and mom great grandparents eventually".

My dad nods, "He's a good boy, a credit to you and Ella" he says. I have a feeling he wants to say more and he doesn't disappoint.

"You know son, I've never said this and I should've. That winters night back in Detroit when Ella knocked on our door and dropped her bombshell that she was expecting Christian and that you were the baby daddy, I was worried. I know me and your mom had done the same thing and bucked the stats and stayed together and raised you right but I really was worried, because I knew just how damned hard it was going to be for you both. But you made me proud son, you stepped up and you did the right thing, you supported Ella and helped her realise her dreams and ambitions and didn't stifle them or make her give them up. Not only that, the way you raised that boy and the way he has turned out is a credit to you and Ella".

I shake my head, I am feeling quite touched at my dad's words, he has never spoken to me like this before.

"I knew he was smart right from the start. He was so advanced, and as he progressed through school it was obvious who he got his brains from, and it wasn't me. Ella is the smart one, she just knows stuff and she isn't just book smart she instinctively knows the right thing to do. You know dad, to this very day I have no idea what she ever saw in me and I know I was punching way above my weight when she chose me. When she told me, she was pregnant with Christian that night… I knew I had to step up and not let her dreams and ambitions be destroyed just because I was a stupid irresponsible idiot who couldn't keep it in his pants…" I trail off as I hear Christian and Ana come out.

"Over here look baby, this is where I keep the majority of family photo's so your photo of you and Ray can go on here if you want and I'll help you unpack your clothes later, I've made plenty of space in the closet for you". I smile as I hear Christian reassuring Ana and pointing to the shelf filled with photographs of all of us.

I call out to him, "If you two are ready, your mom told me that I was to tell you that you are coming to ours for dinner tonight".

I watch as Christian sighs and rolls his eyes, "Are you ok with that baby?" he asks and Ana bless her heart smiles and nods enthusiastically.

"Of course I am, I love your mom" she says and both my dad and I can't help but smile at what she said.

**oooOOOooo**

Ella is waiting at the door as we pull up, dad and I bring the van to a halt and Christian pulls up alongside us in his car. Dad nudges me and I look up and see her dressed casually in jeans and a t shirt, smiling widely at Christian and Ana as they climb out of Christian's car. I smile unconsciously as I see the love of my life. She is my everything.

"Is everyone waiting inside?" I ask and my dad nods.

"Yeah, your mom texted me earlier, she has been helping Ella prepare. Everyone is in there" he confirms.

"Is Ray here too?" I ask and my dad nods.

I watch Ella embracing Christian and then she turns to Ana and I realise she must be warning her of the hoards who are waiting inside. I watch Ana look up at Christian and he doesn't hesitate, he wraps his arm around her and pulls her close offering her unconditional love and reassurance. We climb out of the van and walk towards them, as we do so Ella beams at me.

"Hey you" Ella says as we approach them.

I pause and give her a grin, "Where's my hug?" I say.

Ella laughs and holds open her arms to me, as I step forward my dad quickly moves in front of me and picks up Ella and spinning her around, he hugs her tightly instead, before disappearing into the house laughing loudly.

I step towards my wife who is also laughing loudly and I pull her into my arms.

"Come on let's get inside" Ella says as she pushes me away and ushers Ana and Christian inside.

We step into the living room and everyone is here, I spot my sister Mel and her husband and she grins at me before flinging herself at Christian and then Ana, offering them her congratulations. I see Uncle Tony leaning in the doorway to the kitchen with a bottle of beer in his hand and I see Ella's sister Tia waiting to offer her congratulations to Christian and Ana. Then I see Ray but before I can say anything, I see Ana move towards him.

"Hi dad" she says quietly and I watch Ray wrap his arm around her shoulder and press a small kiss to her head. Before lifting her hand and examining the engagement ring on her finger.

Ana flushes as he smiles and tells her that it's a beautiful ring. He watches her closely and then I hear him whisper to her.

"Did the move go ok?" I hear him say and I watch Ana stiffen slightly.

"Kate wasn't happy with the fact I wasn't moving in with her anymore. It seems she now realises she will have to employ a housekeeper" she says with more than a small hint of bitterness in her tone.

"If I could have everyone's attention!" I hear my wife call out and the room falls silent and all eyes are fixed on her.

"We are all here this evening because my boy has found the love of his life and as such, we are officially welcoming Ana and Ray into the Harper family. Even though you have both been a massive part of our lives for a while now… so Ana, Ray welcome to the family!"

There are a few cheers and I see Ray looking totally embarrassed by Ella's words.

"Mom!" Christian protests, "Do you really want to scare them away?" he adds with a grin.

I watch as Ana moves towards him and wraps her small arms around him, "Nothing could make me run away from you" she says with total sincerity. I meet Ella's gaze and she smiles knowingly at me.

"Come on let's eat!" I say as I point towards the dining table and as everyone surges towards the dining area, I pull Ella close and follow them in.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

_Two months later…_

**(CHRISTIAN)**

"Ana, we need to leave now!" I call.

I check my reflection in the hallway mirror, and run my hand through my hair trying to make it look like I've not just been dragged through a hedge backwards, but my effort is in vain as my hair refuses to cooperate. It makes me smile as Ana has told me she loves how my hair looks; she calls it my 'just fucked look'. At the thought of my fiancée I look down at the shiny gold signet ring with the ornate engraved C on it which is on my left-hand ring finger and smile. It was a gift from Ana which she bought me after I had asked her to marry me. She said if she was to wear a ring to show everyone that she was mine, then I should wear one too to say that I was hers. I am looking forward to wearing a wedding band which will shout that message loud and clear but, in the meantime, I will wear this. At the moment it sits on my left hand but as soon as we marry, I will transfer it to my right hand.

"I'm coming" Ana says as she reaches me and kisses me.

"We will be late" I grumble as I reach for her hand.

She shakes her head, "no we won't everything is under control, trust me" she says and she walks past me to leave the apartment. I follow her and we head down the elevator and I watch her climb into the waiting car and I pause a moment just taking her in before I follow her into the car.

I can't help but smile at her confident demeanour. In the short time she has been working alongside me at HEH and helping me totally restructure SIP she has been learning and taking mentoring from Ros and she has changed beyond all recognition. She is a fast learner and has absorbed everything that Ros has taught her like a sponge. Her confidence now is phenomenal as is her self-esteem and she is no longer the shy self-doubting young woman I met in Montesano two years ago and she is certainly a million miles away from the frightened teenage girl I saw in Texas years previously. She still has her demons but she is working hard with her therapist to keep them in check.

As I remember that time it reminds me of the unwelcome phone call which Ana received shortly after it went public about our engagement. Kate _was_ petty and vindictive enough to leak the news to the media. However, she was smart enough to realise that had she said anything inaccurate or overly negative we would've been all over her like a rash.

As it was it was simply stating the facts that I had got engaged to a quiet university graduate a number of years my junior and that we were now living together in Seattle. There was no salacious commentary on our age gap, it was written respectfully although she did get a dig in questioning if I would get Ana to sign a pre-nup due to my growing wealth and Ana's humble background, which had caused a slight disagreement between us. After reading the article Ana had immediately offered to sign anything I wanted her to, whereas I had said a firm and definite no. Then my legal team had got involved and tried to persuade me it was in my best interests to make Ana sign something, and again Ana had agreed with them and said she would sign anything they wanted and once again I had said no - much to the dismay of my team of attorneys. Carrick surprisingly was the only one who didn't argue too fiercely against my decision as he has known me and my family all my life. He also knows Ana from what my mom has told Grace and he knows she is no manipulative gold digger.

Publicly the news was received well, with an understandable yet manageable amount of interest. That was until reporters tracked down Carla in Georgia and went and broke the news to her about us. She had told her story – her own warped fairy tale of a story about how her daughter had cut her from her life and how she was mystified and heartbroken at the turn of events. When Carrick had furnished the publication with the facts that Carla was in fact an appalling mother who had never had any real interest in her daughter or maternal concern and also issued a number of threats, as to what would happen if a retraction, apology and the facts were not published in the next available issue we had assumed that was the end of it.

However, Carla had somehow received copies of the story and had then tried to track Ana down. She had harassed Ray by calling him repeatedly and she bombarded HEH with phone calls demanding to speak to me, so much so that the switchboard placed her on a proscribed list. Then eventually, to stop her continual pestering Ana called her and told her to leave everyone alone. I had watched with unconcealed pride as she had put her mother firmly in her place and told her that she had no right to call herself her mother and that as far as Ana was concerned, she was dead to her. She had told her if she continued to harass us, she would file charges against her. That had done the trick and we heard nothing more from her.

I am brought from my reminiscing by Ana nudging me as we sit in the car at the traffic lights on our way to Harper House.

I glance at the phone she is waving at me and see a photograph of Carla holding a photograph of a young teenage Ana and staring dejectedly into the camera.

I snatch the phone from Ana and begin to read. This appears to be a new tactic, gone is the feigned ignorance and the lies and instead she is filling the media with a woe is me open letter to Ana begging for her forgiveness and a chance to be involved in her forthcoming wedding and our lives and she even said that she hopes that she can try to be a mother to her again. I snort out loud at that and Ana looks at me questioningly.

"I just read the bit where she wants your forgiveness and she hopes she can be a mother to you again" I explain and Ana rolls her eyes and smiles.

"That would be really hard for her to do, considering that she never was any sort of mother my entire life" she says bitterly.

I look to see who published this crap and am not surprised to see the reporter concerned is Kate Kavanagh and I am also surprised to note that Carla is here in Seattle.

"Kavanagh Media must've paid for her to come to Seattle, she wouldn't have the funds to fly herself" Ana says when I point out that fact to her.

I shake my head, I want nothing more than to serve her with a gagging order, but that's not my call. This is Ana's fight but whatever happens I will be right beside her as she fights it.

"What do you want to do baby?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"I have no idea, my first instinct is to just ignore her and hope she goes away, but as I say Kate is obviously paying her and while she can make money out of this she won't disappear quietly" she says sadly.

"I could pay her off" I suggest but Ana shakes her head adamantly.

"No, if you did that you would never be rid of her. She would keep coming back for more once she spent it all; and trust me she would, so never ever give my mother anything," she says and then she pauses as she seems to think about things.

"As much as it is distasteful and I really don't want to air my dirty laundry in public, plus I don't want to embarrass you or your family or Ray… I think the only thing I can do is issue some kind of statement. If I come out and tell my side how things really happened and how she behaved then there is no story for her to cash in on as I will put it out there that she was no parental role model and the only parent I have is Ray, she can't deny anything as the majority of her antics became the matter of public record anyway, the amount of times she was picked up by the cops – either stoned or drunk when I was a kid. Then there is the trial and my testimony, that was also all a matter of public record, and so if I can somehow get that fact out there then hopefully she will go away".

I think about what she has said. "I have been approached to give interviews since I became successful and wealthy and have always refused as I value my privacy. However, if we could organise something and make it not just about this but more general, for example the business side and our relationship, how we met and our plans for the future then we could pull this off" I say.

Ana's eyes shine with hope and love, "You would do that for me?" she asks and I pull her to my side.

"Ana I would do anything for you, you should know that by now. Call Ray and make sure he is ok with this and once we have his blessing, I will put out feelers to see who we can get to do the interview".

She leans up and kisses me, "Thank you" she says simply and I just hold her even tighter.

"By the way… talking about our future, have you decided yet on your choices for the wedding? I really don't want to wait any longer, I want you by my side as my wife not my fiancée" I say.

Ana grins at me, "I was talking to your mom and she was telling me all about her wedding day to your dad, and to be honest that sounds perfect to me. Just the closest people we want there around us, no fuss and nothing flash or over the top just simple and understated".

I nod, I knew she would want something like that and while I want to give her whatever she wants I also want something a little better than City Hall. Nothing against my parents as their wedding was perfect for them.

"How about a hotel?" I ask warily.

"Hotel?" Ana asks and I nod.

"Mmm, many resorts do wedding packages, we could have a simple wedding just the people who mattered involved either in a hotel or on a beach and as much or as little fuss as you want, what do you think?" I ask.

I can see I have captured her interest with this and I continue to outline some of the places I have been looking at.

"The Caribbean looks nice, you have your choice of islands and many of the hotels in that part of the world offer wedding packages, or in totally the opposite direction Hawaii also looks good," I pause as this gets a reaction.

"Hawaii?" Ana asks and I nod.

"Could… could you show me what you found in Hawaii?" she says and I smile.

"Of course I will, but we've arrived and business first we need to do these interviews for SIP" I say and Ana nods.

**oooOOOooo**

The interviews are complete and Ana and I went through the candidates. Ana was certain who she wanted in the positions which were being offered and I was surprised at how our instincts and perceptions of the candidates tallied.

Ana had left the office to go to her own while I dealt with a couple of other HEH issues and now they are sorted I am on my way to take my fiancée out to lunch and share with her details of the hotels I shortlisted in Hawaii.

I walk towards her office and see the door is ajar and she is on the phone. I pause as I realise she is talking to my mom.

"…so you and Daniel will be alright if I do this, as the last thing I want to do is embarrass you?... yes… she is… she never was a real mom to me Ray was mom and dad to me for years… yeah and you've been more of a mom to me than she ever has… it's true, I value our little chats like this… yes… well thank you that is nice to know… ok well I'd better let you get on… thank you for taking my call while you are at work… yes… thank you… bye". I wait and I hear her dial and then I hear her greeting Ray.

"Hi dad" she says, and with that I knock and enter her office.

"Hey baby… oh sorry" I say as she looks up at me.

My heart lurches as she beams at me and mouthed the word 'Ray'. I nod and sit down in the chair in front of her desk and wait.

"Dad, have you seen the interviews mom has been doing in the media?... yes… well it's Kate that stirring it all up… well I want to shut her down once and for all… she has tried lies, she has tried pleading ignorance and now she is pulling a guilt trip and I'm sick of it. I want her out of my life completely, so… that means going public about everything. What she was like when I was a kid, how she dragged me off to Texas and treated you so badly, how she didn't believe me when I tried to tell her about him and how she stood by him and believed him despite the fact she walked in on him trying to rape me, I am prepared to tell all if it puts a stop to this crap once and for all but I need you on board. I need to know you are ok with me doing this, if you're not then I will have to think again… so what do you think?"

I watch as Ray is obviously speaking and Ana smiles, "thanks, and yes I've spoken to Christian's mom and she told me to go for it and she would support me all the way". I smile at that, I knew my mom would back Ana with anything she wanted to do.

"Thanks dad, I really appreciate that… that's not a bad idea actually, I'll put it to Christian and see what he says, yes… thanks dad, listen I have to go now but thank you, yes… we'll see you soon… bye dad… love you… yes bye".

As soon as she hangs up, she stands and rounds her desk. I stand and pull her into my arms.

"Everything ok?" I ask and she nods.

"Ray is on board with me doing the interview and he suggested getting them to interview him, which totally shocked me as he hates talking to anyone, but it just goes to show how strongly he feels about this if he is prepared to go on the record and put his two cents worth in".

I nod and a number of ideas are now forming in my mind as to how this interview could be handled.

"Good, you can tell me all about it over lunch and I have the details of those hotels in Hawaii you wanted to see".

I watch as excitement fills her eyes and she quickly reaches for her jacket and picks up her phone from her desk.

"Well what are we waiting for?" she says as she gestures towards her office door. I grip her hand and lead her from the office and then the building.

I watch Ana as she looks through the information on the hotels in Hawaii. She has a look of almost childlike excitement as she carefully reads each one. I don't say anything but I just watch her. Eventually she points her finger, "I like this one" she says carefully.

I nod and look to see which one she has picked and I smile as I realise that one was my preferred choice as well.

"Then consider it done baby, I'll make the arrangements, now when do you want to do this?" I ask.

Ana grins at me, "Tomorrow?" she says and I laugh.

"I'm good, but I'm not that good" I say, I think for a moment, "How about next week?" I ask and Ana's mouth drops open in shock.

"Christian, there are other people involved, your family they can't just be expected to make those sorts of plans in a week!" she exclaims.

I shrug, "I'd help them" I say, "Ok then how about a fortnight, I'm prepared to wait an extra week" I say and Ana grins at me.

"Only a week?" she says and I nod.

"I've waited long enough for this moment and I want it now" I say childishly.

Ana looks at me carefully, "You really think everything can be sorted in a fortnight?" she asks and I nod, as the hotel will be doing the majority of the organisation for us and all we will have to really do is show up.

**oooOOOooo**

_Two weeks later…_

"Christian will you pinch me?"

I look down questioningly at Ana and she grins at me as she lies in my arms. We have just made love on the private beach at our small villa here in Hawaii.

"I really can't believe all this is really happening, things like this don't happen to me" she says.

I lean down and kiss her, "believe it baby, you are really here, you are really my fiancée, you are really getting married in…" I pause and look at my watch, "three hours' time and this is really your life now" I say.

"Three hours!" she gasps and struggles to get up.

"Relax baby, everything is in hand, your dress is hanging up in the villa you said yourself you didn't want a hairdresser or someone to do your make-up. The hotel has arranged everything perfectly so all you have to do is go inside, shower, change and then my mom will arrive and help you with any last bits and pieces you need to do. Everyone else is relaxing at this moment… except perhaps Aunty Mel as she takes about a year to get ready for anything!"

Ana snuggles closer and runs her finger down my chest, "Shall we go for that shower then?" she asks and grins wickedly at me.

I look at her in faux shock "Ana! You are insatiable!" I tease and she giggles.

"Who made me that way?" she says and she presses a kiss to my chest.

"A very good point" I say and with that I rise to my feet, "Come on then" I add as I pull her to her feet and into my arms once more.

"I have sand in places I really shouldn't have sand" Ana mutters as we walk towards the villa and I snort.

"That's what you get for making love in the sand" I say, and Ana stops and turns towards me and pulls my head down and plants her lips firmly on mine.

"Not complaining, just stating a fact" she says.

After a very enjoyable shower we head into the bedroom where Ana's dress is hanging up. She had taken my mom with her to help her choose a dress. I love how close they have got and mom was touched that Ana asked her. I smile as I look at it, it isn't a wedding dress as Ana said she didn't see the point in spending vast sums of money on a dress which could only be worn once. I had pointed out that she could have whatever she wanted, but she had simply replied I already have everything I want. She had also said that it was ridiculous spending for the sake of it after all it was just one day and what was one day when the rest of our lives and the marriage we build is far more important than splashing out needlessly on making it official and legal.

Ana follows me into the bedroom and comes up behind me and presses a kiss to my shoulder.

"You look deep in thought" she says quietly and I turn to face her and wrap my arms around her.

"I was just thinking about what you said, when I told you I wanted you to have whatever you wanted and that I would give you the earth if I could" I pause as I think about what I want to ask her, "Ana, this is what you want isn't it?" I ask and I watch as she frowns at me.

"Christian I wouldn't be here if I didn't want this… are you having second thoughts?" she asks nervously.

I could kick myself for scaring her and making her worry and I quickly try to reassure her. "Good god no, it's just… everything has been unbelievably simple and understated. You bought your dress from a vintage store when you could've had a designer gown, you didn't want any fuss or anything and you always seem to be watching every penny, you do realise that you will never have any money worries again don't you? You do realise that we can afford the nicer things in life, I just wanted to make sure this is what you really wanted because you know I would give you whatever you wanted Ana". I pause again and wait for her to respond.

She places her hands on my chest and smiles up at me, "I'm a simple girl with simple tastes. I don't do flash or extravagant. This does make me happy; I would've been uncomfortable and awkward had I had an expensive designer gown as it's not me. I know full well that you could buy me pretty much anything I wanted, that was brought home to me when I panicked because the payment for my student loans hadn't come out, and when I called them they told me it had been paid off" she looks at me with raised eyebrows as she says this. I realise I never got around to admitting I'd done that, and I open my mouth to explain but she places her finger on my lips to stop me.

"It's ok, I was mad at the time, mainly because you didn't tell me what you had done, but I've got over it now but the fact is I don't want stuff and money and all the trappings… I just want you".

"Ok good to know" I say with a grin.

Ana pulls away from me and goes to get dressed, she brushes her hair until it shines and leaves it loose around her shoulders. She has blow dried it beautifully and it looks amazing, natural and just so… Ana. She applies a small amount of make up and then she reaches for the dress.

I was shocked when I saw it and even more shocked when she told me where she had got it from. But it really is a very beautiful dress, it is a very simple style and accentuates all her curves and being a light floaty cotton, it is perfect for our beach ceremony. Ana has decided she wants to marry me barefoot and I have also decided to forego shoes. I pull out my own wedding outfit. Ana had picked it and said it was perfect. I pull on the light-coloured trousers and the casual button-down shirt and as I go to tuck my shirt in Ana stops me.

"No, leave it loose, it looks sexier that way" she says and I grin at her.

"You look sensational baby" I say as I take her in. Before she can answer there is a knock at the door and I step away from her to answer it.

"Hello Mr Harper I have the wedding bouquet and your button hole" the man says as he offers me a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers, again it was what Ana wanted and my buttonhole is a single rose, although I'm not sure how I'm going to wear it as I'm not wearing a jacket.

"Thank you" I say as I take them from him and he quickly informs us that we are expected on the beach in half an hour. I nod and close the door.

"Did you hear that baby?" I ask and Ana nods.

"Yep, but I'm ready now" she says.

A short while later we meet up with my family in the bar area and they all turn as one to face us as we walk in hand in hand.

"Christian" my mom exclaims as she greets me with a hug and then she hugs Ana.

Ray shakes my hand and then looks at Ana carefully. "You look beautiful Annie, Christian is a very lucky man" he says and I grin.

"You don't need to tell me that Ray, I am fully aware of that fact" I say.

All my family take it in turn to hug us and wish us luck and before we know it the manager walks towards us smiling brightly.

"Mr Harper we are ready for you so if you'd like to make your way down to the ceremonial area".

I nod, "thank you" I reply and I turn towards Ana, "ready baby?" I ask and she takes my hand and nods.

It is incredibly casual and relaxed as we all walk barefoot down to the gazebo on the beach. There is a makeshift aisle and chairs set out for all the guests. It looks lovely and it all looks just how Ana described how she wanted it. It is very tasteful with arrangements of wildflowers, which match her bouquet, dotted here and there.

The actual ceremony passes in a blur, it is only a short ceremony but Ana had decided she wanted traditional vows and before I know it the official is declaring us to be husband and wife. I glance at Ray who is stoically watching but blinking rapidly to hide the fact he is feeling emotional at seeing his daughter get married. Then I turn and look at my dad, who has this massive grin on his face and he simply nods at me. He has his arm wrapped round my mom and she is sniffling into a tissue with tears pouring down her cheeks.

"May I present to you Mr and Mrs Harper" the official says and with that everyone breaks out into spontaneous applause and my dad lets out a loud whoop. I watch my mom nudge him sharply but he just grins. He pulls out his camera and tells us to look at him and he snaps a number of photographs, much to the obvious disgust of the official photographer the hotel provided.

The rest of the day follows in an equal blur, we make our way back to the main hotel building to have the reception, where everyone seems to enjoy the spread the hotel has provided, speeches are said, toasts made and the cake is cut and also many more photographs are taken both by the official photographer and by my father and also funnily enough by my grandfather, who commandeers my dads camera and starts ordering us around. Everything is light and good natured and soon it is time for us to have our first dance.

"Dance with me baby" I say as I stand and hold out my hand to Ana, I can see she is starting to wilt a little now and so I think it won't be long before we make our excuses and retire to our room but first I want to dance with my wife. My wife! That thought gives me a thrill like no other.

As I spin her around the dance floor whilst trying desperately not to stand on her toes I look down at her and smile.

"Happy?" I ask and she nods.

"Very" she replies.

She looks at me carefully and I know she wants to say something more so I simply wait for her to say it.

"My husband" she whispers and then lets out a small giggle. I pull her close and nuzzle into her neck.

"My wife" I reply.

She leans up and presses a kiss to my lips and she cups my face with her hand. "I love you" she says simply and a warm comforting feeling flows through me as I hear her words, no matter how many times she says those three simple words to me, they never cease to have that effect.

I rest my forehead against hers and my hand moves to the nape of her neck. I smile at her, lift my head slightly and kiss her then I nuzzle into her neck once more, as I do so I whisper in her ear and I feel her shiver against me as my breath touches her.

"I love you too" I say.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

_Three weeks later…_

We have come back down to earth with a bump. Well I say bump it is more of a crash. After our beautiful wedding and fabulous extended honeymoon in Hawaii, we returned to Seattle refreshed and ready to take on whatever life threw at us. It really was outstanding. After the wedding ceremony, our family stayed with us for a few days. It was probably not everyone's idea of a honeymoon but we are both so close to our family if felt like the right thing to do. We weren't in each other's pockets though; they did their thing – the tourist thing, and we… well we did the honeymoon thing and barely made it out of the bedroom for a couple of days. Then our family left Hawaii and for a further two glorious weeks Ana and I had the honeymoon of our dreams. We did manage to leave the little villa and see some sights… some of the time.

Sadly though, our time in Hawaii had to come to an end and we had to return to reality. The first thing that hit us upon our return to Seattle was Carla's meltdown. While we were in Hawaii, I instructed my PA department to publicly announce the news that we had married. I was informed that it had been received with interest but there was no overtly rabid media reaction for which I was pleased about. However, when Carla read about it and realised that she obviously hadn't been invited she had bombarded HEH with calls and emails demanding to speak to Ana and to me. When she was informed that we were on our honeymoon and therefore out of the country and out of contact she had provided Kate with an unhinged rant about how Ana had broken her heart which Kate had promptly and probably spitefully published which had caused media interest to increase significantly. Thankfully Carrick was on the case immediately and whilst nothing was said which was libellous against Ana or myself, he made enough threats that this sort of 'media intimidation' had to stop.

Therefore, here we are. We knew we were going to do this interview at some point but we didn't quite expect it to happen so soon. We have only been back in the country a week, but we are now preparing for an interview to set the record straight and put Carla fucking Wilks, Lambert, Steele, Morton, Adams in her place once and for all. Numerous media outlets have been begging for an interview from me ever since I started to make a name for myself in business. One of the most vocal being Eamon Kavanagh, and he would've been my first choice if it wasn't for the fact his own daughters' spiteful actions were necessitating the need for this interview. On top of all that Ana is feeling unwell, she caught some kind of bug the day we left Hawaii, and for her the flight home was spent in the bathroom on the plane. Mom has been keeping an eye on her since we got home, and although she is over the physical aspects of the bug she is still recovering. However, Ana in typical style isn't complaining and she is battling on despite my requests for her to take it easy.

At this moment I am looking at the figures for SIP, or Harper Publishing as it is now called. Sales figures are up despite the investment and expenditure I have poured into the place. The entire team albeit a smaller and more streamlined team is now here at Harper House and we are currently implementing all the online presence and eBook launch. My new IT man Barney has been instrumental in working with Ana to get this up and running. He was a god send, and I have no idea how my company functioned without him before he joined us. Ana recommended him, as he is a friend of hers from university and he graduated at the same time as she did. I asked him why, with his talent did he not go to somewhere like MIT and his answer had floored me. He told me that he went to Washington State because they were the only university who offered him a scholarship. Had he not received that he wouldn't have gone to any university.

It leads me to seriously consider launching some sort of charitable foundation. I have been thinking about this for a while. I am now incredibly wealthy and if I can channel that wealth into helping others get the education, they deserve then that surely can only be a good thing. I think of my mother and how she only managed to train to become a doctor because she was so outstandingly academically gifted, and she was only able to realise that dream because the university offered her a scholarship, something which they had never done previously for medical school and as far as I am aware have never done since. My own education at Harvard was courtesy of a full scholarship as well, but what about those talented, bright and able people who aren't lucky enough to be offered one?

I am drawn from my thoughts by a knock at the door, "Come in" I call and as the door opens I smile as I see Ana appear.

"Hey baby" I say and I immediately stand and greet her with a kiss.

She looks at the paperwork on my desk and points at it, "pretty impressive for the first lot of figures since the takeover" she says smugly and I nod.

"It is, I knew employing you would be a smart move and these figures prove that" I say.

Ana shakes her head, "It's not all down to me, we are a team at Harper Publishing" she argues.

I'm not going to argue with her but if it wasn't for her and her input, I would've walked away from that company and let it collapse.

"Anyway, what can I do for you baby, or is this a social visit?" I ask as I wrap my arm around her waist and press myself against her and as I do so I feel myself start to get hard.

Ana feels it too and she laughs and pushes away from me, "Not social so cool your jets Harper, no this is me just having a mini freak-out about the interview which is going to happen in…" she pauses and looks at her watch, "…half an hour, and I came for some moral support and looking for you to tell me everything is going to be ok. I've spoken to Ray and he has already told me that I will be brilliant… not that I believe him. He said that they have already interviewed him for his segment and he told them straight exactly what Carla was like when I was growing up and so all I had to do was speak the truth and tell them what she was like from my perspective".

Ana looks at me and I don't hesitate, I pull her into my arms and hold her tightly.

"Ana, Ray is right you _will_ be brilliant, I will be sitting right beside you and you won't have anything to worry about. Ray is right, just tell them the truth. You have nothing to hide and nothing to feel ashamed about as you did nothing wrong. Carla started all this with her infantile behaviour and we are just shutting it down. Don't forget it's not all about that situation though, yes this interview is only happening because of what Carla and Kate have been doing but we have made sure we are discussing a wide range of topics so that it doesn't look like revenge and retaliation for the crap your mom has been filling the media with. They want to talk about us and the fact you work here at HEH with me. They also want to talk about my life and background so the spotlight won't be completely fixed on you and your pathetic excuse of a mother. We will also get the final say before the programme is aired so if we don't like it; or if you are not happy about anything, it won't be shown. Trust me baby, everything will be fine," I say.

I feel her relax and she nods, "The difference with your life is, your childhood wasn't a complete car crash like mine. You have exemplary parents who love you and who always considered you as you were growing up. Your mom is the definition of what a mom should be and the nicest person I have ever met. Her priority is always you, and your wellbeing – even now and you are a grown man!"

I smile as I hear that glowing reference of my mother and I know she is right, "You had Ray, as far as I can see he was just as exemplary. In fact, more so as he has no biological link to you. He took care of you, became your everything and yet he didn't have to do a damn thing. He stepped up and became your safe place because he wanted to, not because he was biologically obligated to. Plus, look how he has stepped up and participated in this interview. He hates anything like this but he has put that aside for you because he loves you so much".

Ana considers this and nods, before holding me even tighter. I think about how this interview is going to go. We had opted to do it right here at Harper House as the crew wanted footage of the new Harper Publishing layout considering that is where Ana is working and also footage of us going about our day. I have seen the production notes for what is going to happen and what is going to be covered, and it is mainly a profile of me and my rise in the business world from nothing to the point I am now at. My background is being covered and my mom is happy for the fact that her story is also being told as part of that background. I am hoping that by telling how my mom bucked the stats and made such a success of her life, it will inspire other young people who find themselves in the same position to see they too can make something of themselves. I am also going to use this interview as a sounding board and possible launch pad to announce my prospective foundation, as it all links in to my own experiences and my mother's. Neither of us would be where we are today had we not been lucky enough to get scholarships to the universities we attended.

We are pulled from our quiet moment together by another knock at the door. Ana reluctantly pulls away from me as I call for whoever it is to come in. The door opens and my PA Andrea appears smiling at me.

"Mr Harper, the TV crew are here for the interview" she says politely.

I look down at Ana carefully, "and that is our cue… ready baby?" I ask and I watch as Ana takes a deep breath and nods.

I turn towards Andrea, "Thank you Andrea, are they in the conference room?" I ask and she tells me that they are setting up in the break room. I am surprised by this and she quickly explains.

"They said that they wanted a more casual setting, they said a conference room table was too intimidating for the tone they wanted to set. They wanted sofas to convey relaxed and comfort so that was the first place that came to mind" she says as she glances at the sofas here in my office, and then flushes slightly.

"No, that's fine. If they are happy there, I take it the break room is tidy?" I ask and Andrea nods.

"It is, had it been a mess I wouldn't even have considered it as an option" she says.

"Thank you, Andrea, we'll be right there" I say and as Andrea leaves, I return my attention back to Ana.

"Ok then listen to me Ana, you _will_ be brilliant. You look beautiful, you are smart and you have nothing whatsoever to worry about. I will be right by your side every step of the way and if there is anything you don't like or feel uncomfortable with just say and I will back you up. I won't have you feeling worried about this Ana".

Ana smiles up at me and nods, "thank you… ok let's do this thing" she says bravely.

We make our way to the break room and as I walk in the crew turn to look. I hold out my hand as the journalist who is going to be doing the interview beams at us and walks towards us with her hand outstretched.

"Mr Harper, Mrs Harper… I'm Susan Gilford and I'm very pleased to meet you. Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. First of all, may I offer my sincere congratulations on your marriage" she says.

Ana smiles politely as she shakes the woman's hand and I simply acknowledge her remark with a nod.

"Alright then, so… the plan is we sit here and I will lead you on the subjects we want to cover which are…" she pauses and glances at a clip board, "Your rise from your humble beginnings to where you are today and the astoundingly short amount of time it took you to do that. We have already spoken to your mother and father and Dr Harper has given us some fabulous footage" she says.

I smile at that, "I'm sure she has" I say wryly. My mom had been excited at the prospect of talking about me as she never misses an opportunity to brag about me and my achievements to anyone who will listen. Giving her a platform like this was always going to make her day.

"How did my dad get on?" I ask carefully. I know my dad wasn't so keen; as he always, very wrongly, considers himself to be the weak link in the family. Mom is a doctor and it is her wage that kept the family afloat when the painting and decorating business wasn't doing so well. What he fails to realise is that if it wasn't for him mom wouldn't be a doctor at all. Had it not been for his unwavering support and that of my grandparent's mom would never have been able to follow her dreams of being a doctor after she had me. The only reason he agreed to participate at all was because of Ray and my dad considered that if Ray could do it, so could he.

"He did ok, he was a little reluctant at first but once I got him talking about your mother, I couldn't shut him up… it's obvious that theirs is a true love story and also his love and paternal pride for you comes across loud and clear in some of the things he says" Susan says kindly.

"Did my dad do alright?" Ana asks and Susan smiles.

"He was amazing, he was more than a little blunt at times but the impression I got from him was that he doesn't say anything unless he thinks it is important enough. He truly believed that offering his views on how he raised you and the issues you both faced from your mother while you were growing up, was very important in this case and his love for you shone through in his words" she says kindly.

I squeeze Ana reassuringly and she looks up at me as I do so.

"Where do you want us?" I ask as I look at the crew milling around.

"If I could have you first Mrs Harper and then you Mr Harper" Susan says as she waves to the sofa and then to a chair situated behind the cameras. Ana stiffens at this and looks up at me nervously.

"Erm… we were hoping to be interviewed together rather than separately, the whole idea being that we are a team both personally and professionally" I say immediately.

Susan looks at her notes and smiles, "yes… I like that and that is actually a better plan… yes we'll do it that way" she says. With that I feel Ana relax once more and we make our way over to the sofa.

We sit down and wait while Susan does a brief piece to the camera, introducing herself and explaining how they are grateful for us granting this interview as I am known for not giving them and how it is a real exclusive for them to be here today, before turning her attention to us.

"Mr Harper, Mrs Harper, first of all congratulations on the news of your marriage, and thank you for taking the time to speak to me today in what is a very rare occurrence, in fact this is a very big coup for us as this is the first time you have agreed to speak at length about yourself and your achievements. Plus, I can imagine you are both rather busy after recently returning to work from your honeymoon?" Susan says with a bright smile.

I nod, "Thank you and it is our pleasure" I say and I reach for Ana's hand and neatly avoid the remark about us being busy, as the truth is I really could've done without this so soon, but sadly we realised it had to be done now.

"Does working together now that you are married create any problems?" Susan asks.

Ana immediately shakes her head and I wait to let her answer this. "No, not at all. We are a team and we respect each other's views. When we have a difference of opinion, we talk through our differences like adults. Plus, work stays at the office, we make a point of leaving the work day behind when we leave the office each evening. Not only that we were friends for quite a while, before we became a couple so we both know roughly what the other needs and as such we tend to know how to accommodate each other".

"I see, so it sounds almost the perfect situation?" Susan says and Ana nods again.

"I think so… what do you think Christian?" she asks looking up at me and I nod in agreement.

"Absolutely" I say.

"You say you have been friends a while, so how did you two meet?" Susan asks.

I smile as I think about that, "The very first time I saw Ana was a number of years ago in Texas. She must've been only about 15". I look at Ana questioningly, and she nods in confirmation of that. "I had just started to become successful and was building my business and a reputation. I was in Dallas looking at a company I was thinking of buying and while I was there, I decided to go to the hospital where my mother worked to surprise her and take her out for lunch as she had no idea I was in Texas. That was the first time I laid eyes on Ana, as she was there at the hospital that day. We didn't speak to each other, but I was concerned when I saw her as she appeared to be so sad and frightened, she just attracted my attention. Then a few years down the line, quite coincidentally I was introduced to her father – Ray, at his home in Montesano as he was a friend of my fathers and while we were there, Ana came to visit him. I recognised her immediately, and was shocked that it was the same girl I had seen before in Texas. We got chatting and the rest they say is history".

"So, it was all blind luck and a number of coincidences?" Susan asks and Ana laughs.

"You could argue that most of life's occurrences are down to blind luck?" she says.

"Quite… so going back to you Mr Harper…" Susan says but pauses as I hold up my hand.

"Please call me Christian, Mr Harper is my dad" I say with a grin and at that Ana giggles, which makes Susan look questioningly at her.

"I'm sorry but Dan, that's Christian's dad said much the same thing to me when he told me to call him Dan" she says.

"You are very close to your family Christian?" Susan asks and I nod.

"I am because I owe them everything. They instilled in me all the family values I hold dear and I know for a fact I wouldn't be where I am today without their unwavering love and support" I say.

"So, you could say your parents are your inspiration?" she asks and I nod firmly.

"Most definitely, as my moms' story is nothing short of inspirational. She came from a very tough background. She faced many obstacles and a lot of hostility when she met my father from her family but she never wavered she focussed on her goals and she succeeded. My mom found out she was expecting me when she was just sixteen and my dad was seventeen. She was written off by her own parents and by the school as just another statistic. But she showed them when she had me and then went on to graduate High School with outstanding grades. Grades which were good enough to be offered a place at Michigan University to study medicine on a full scholarship. She graduated and became a top Paediatrician. She worked at the main hospital in Detroit for a number of years while I was growing up and I know she put her own ambitions aside so that I would have a stable homelife. When I was of an age where she could pursue her dreams, she and my father left Detroit and she took a position at a hospital in Dallas, Texas before eventually moving here to Seattle and taking a position at the hospital here which she has held ever since. But you can't discount my dad's role in all this, as she would never have been able to go to university if it hadn't been for him stepping up and giving her his unwavering support. He and my grandparents rallied round so my mother could follow her dreams".

"So, your father took on the role of main caretaker to you while your mother went to university?" Susan asks.

I shake my head, "Not exactly, my mother commuted to the university each day. The whole family pulled together to make sure she got there, my dad worked with my grandfather in the family business – and still does and my gran took care of me during the day. It was a team effort" I say.

"And you also graduated High school with some impressive grades which were enough to get you a place at Harvard University to study business?" Susan says.

I nod, "I did although at one point it wasn't clear that I would graduate, as I was seriously considering dropping out but my parents rallied again and came to Harvard to help me when I was considering quitting. I will never be able to repay the love and support they have shown me all my life and I know I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for them and everything, they have done for me… but I also know we were incredibly lucky. My mother was offered a scholarship to Michigan to study Medicine. Something which had never been done before and to my knowledge has not been done since. The only reason I managed to get to Harvard was because I too was offered a full scholarship. So, as Ana previously said, blind luck plays a large part in everyone's lives. But I am also aware that not everyone is able to get that sort of opportunity and there are people out there… able people who do not get the opportunity to go to university or the university of their choice as they don't get the chance of a scholarship. So, I am looking to launch a charitable foundation to help people who would not otherwise be able to go to university, call it giving back. My education helped me to form my company which has made me a very wealthy man in a relatively short space of time so it is only right I give back and help others have the chance to achieve the same levels of success".

I know that they will be editing this interview with footage I have provided about my intended foundation so I am not surprised when Susan doesn't question me further on it and instead turns her attention to Ana.

"That sounds wonderful, what about you Ana? You have recently graduated university as well?" I squeeze Ana's hand and she takes a deep breath and nods.

"I have, I studied English Literature and my ambition was to become an editor at a Publishing House" she says.

"An ambition which you have now achieved" Susan says and Ana smiles widely.

"More than achieved. Christian has been so supportive and we are currently working together to build Harper Publishing which was formerly Seattle Independent Publishing. The company was dying but Christian saw its potential and we are currently rebuilding it".

"So, Christian has been as supportive of your ambitions as his family was with him, what about your family Ana have they been supportive throughout your life?" Susan asks.

This is it; this is the opening Ana needed. Come on baby, she's given you your cue now take it and shut that bitch of a mother down once and for all. This is the whole reason we are doing this interview, so I squeeze Ana reassuringly as she licks her lips nervously.

"My dad has been my rock all my life. I never questioned his love and support. I always knew he would be there for me and his support and love has been my strength throughout my life. What makes it all the more remarkable is my dad isn't biologically related to me. My biological father died around the time I was born so the only father I have ever known is Ray and he has never let me down… he's my dad" Ana pauses and smiles as she thinks about Ray.

"What about your mother?" Susan asks.

Ana lets out a small snort and shakes her head sadly, "Carla has done nothing but let me down" Ana says bitterly.

Oh, that was good. She called her Carla rather than mom and after her affectionate and glowing reference of Ray the difference is stark. I listen as she continues.

"Carla wasn't cut out to be a mom, I am thankful I had my dad to take care of me or I'm not sure what would've happened. My early years were filled with the memories of her disappearing for days, sometimes weeks at a time. She cheated on my dad constantly and although I didn't realise it at the time, she had problems with drugs and alcohol. I remember a number of occasions where the police brought her home, and I believe she was charged numerous times for being in possession of some kind of illegal substance or for being drunk and disorderly but dad always shielded me from the worst of her behaviour. I wasn't totally aware of the extent of the hell she put him through for years, but he stuck with her for my sake as he knew he was the only stable influence in my life. Then when I was a teenager, she met a man who she left dad for and moved to Texas. I assumed that she would leave me with Ray as she had never really shown any interest in me or my wellbeing. However, she insisted that I go with her as I was _her_ daughter. Ray protested and she told him it was none of his business as he wasn't my father," Ana says and then she pauses and swallows hard.

"I can see this is very painful for you" Susan says.

Ana looks up and gives her a brittle smile, "I just have a lot of really bad memories of that time. Carla is all over the media at the moment berating me for cutting her out of my life and for not forgiving her mistakes. The thing is she didn't make mistakes, as mistakes I could and would forgive. She was wilfully negligent, wilfully in denial or possibly delusional about the truth surrounding her third husband and as a result wilfully emotionally abusive towards me". Ana stops and swallows hard. I let go of her hand and wrap my arm around her. I am willing her to continue as she is smashing this but I can also see she is beginning to struggle.

It's as if my arm around her gives her the strength to continue and she takes a deep breath and carries on. "When we got to Texas it became obvious very quickly that her new husband was a sexual predator… a sexual predator who preferred young girls. I was afraid and so I tried to tell Carla what he was doing… but she didn't believe me. Let's just say things got worse and worse and reached a climax when she walked in on her husband attacking me and yet she still took his word over mine, that everything that was happening was consensual. Worst of all she blamed me for it. It was after that attack I went to the hospital and where I got my first glimpse of my future husband although I had no idea of that fact at the time, he was just a man with kind eyes who was sitting in the waiting area. I left Texas after that as I couldn't live with Carla anymore due to her dogged refusal to believe me. I returned to Washington to Ray and I tried to put it all behind me but a while later I was called to give evidence when Carla's husband stood trial as he had been accused of sexually abusing another young girl. Carla still stood by him until it became clear that he was guilty and then it came out that he had been linked by DNA to several other rapes of teenage girls in the area".

"That must've been horrendous for you" Susan says as she sits there with her mouth hanging open, I don't think in her wildest dreams that she expected Ana would be this open and honest about her horrific past, but I can also see the compassion in her eyes as she listens.

Ana nods, "it was, it left a lot of psychological scars. I suffered flashbacks if I was triggered by situations where I felt unsafe or threatened and I suffered from nightmares. I didn't trust men at all and although I had many male friends at university, I made it clear that is all they were. It's only been very recently that I have been facing up to that time, dealing with it and coming to terms with it and that is thanks to Christian and his mom who have been helping me. Christian was the first man apart from my dad who I felt completely safe with and I started to develop stronger feelings for him. I can't thank Christian's mom enough for the help she has provided for me and as for my husband, he has been unbelievable" she says and she looks up at me lovingly.

My heart gives a little lurch as she calls me her husband and I can't help myself; I lean down and press a kiss to her head. I don't care if it's unprofessional, I'm doing it. But I am so proud of her, she has fucking nailed it! Her words along with whatever Ray has said should be enough and if that doesn't shut down Carla then nothing will and we will have to look into filing some sort of injunction against her.

"How do you feel towards the reporter who has been helping your mother and publishing her comments, do you have a message for her if she is watching this?" Susan asks. I hold my breath, I wonder what Ana will say about Kate.

Ana smiles sadly, "the sad thing about that is I actually know that reporter personally. I shared an apartment with her during my time at university. I thought… I thought she was my friend. It appears that she really wasn't and from her actions it also appears she isn't a responsible journalist as she has blindly published my mother's story without even considering approaching me to give any balance to the pieces she wrote, which isn't really good journalistic practice. I can only hope that oversight was down to lack of experience on her part and not anything more and I have nothing that I want to say to her".

I am so proud of Ana right now, she got across everything, she has shut down her mother and she has also called Kate out on her vindictive spitefulness with dignity and decorum. I give her another squeeze and she looks up at me and smiles.

The interview now moves away from our childhoods and families and we talk about my rise in the business world and the companies I have dealt with. We discuss Ana's role within HEH and how she is focussing on Harper Publishing. Eventually the interview comes back to us and our plans for the future.

"What are your plans for the future?" Susan asks.

Ana smiles, "I think for the time being it's just continuing as we are doing. Christian is building HEH and I'll be at his side supporting him" she says.

"How about personally, will the Harper family be expanding any time soon?" she asks.

I laugh, "I would love children in the future, but give us chance! We have just got home from our honeymoon" I say. But as I say that, I feel Ana stiffen dramatically. Hello, what was that all about? Does Ana not want children? I have to admit it's not a subject which has come up as I assumed that we had plenty of time to discuss it and I also assumed Ana would want children at some point in the future. I wait for Ana to respond to this question.

"Ana?" Susan pushes and I watch her reaction closely.

"As Christian said we have just married and returned from our honeymoon. To be honest I hadn't even considered the idea of children… yet… not for a long time" she says evasively. She smiles at Susan and I can see she bought that reply, but I didn't. I know from what she said that Ana hadn't considered children at all, what if she doesn't want kids? I just assumed that would be the natural progression and I would love kids with Ana but if she doesn't want them. This has come as a shock but it is clearly something we need to talk about when we get a moment to ourselves.

A few other superficial things are discussed and then the interview comes to a close. I have noticed that since the children remarks Ana has become incredibly quiet and withdrawn and I wonder what she is thinking.

Susan beams at us, "well thank you for an incredibly revealing and enlightening glimpse into your lives" she says.

She turns towards the camera and brings the interview to an end and then as someone shouts cut, we all relax.

"Thank you for doing this" I say politely as I offer my hand once more to Susan.

"Thank you for agreeing, we have been practically begging for years to do this, I was particularly interested in your intention to form a charitable foundation offering financial assistance to school leavers. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need any publicity opportunities when you launch" she says.

"Thank you, I will bear that in mind" I say.

Susan turns to Ana, "thank you very much" she says as she shakes Ana's hand. Ana smiles politely as she shakes it once more. But before I can say anything Ana speaks again.

"If you would excuse me, I need to return to work now" she says.

"Certainly Mrs Harper" Susan says.

Ana looks up at me briefly but I notice she is unable to meet my gaze for long, "If you need me I'll be in my office" she mutters and with that she practically runs from the room.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

"That went well today, I think?" I say later when we are at home relaxing.

I haven't had chance to bring up the subject of children with Ana. After the interview was complete, we returned to work and Ana had team meetings with the editors over lunchtime. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if she was avoiding me as she didn't come in to see me at all this afternoon which is most unlike her.

"Mmm" Ana says in a non-committal manner.

I turn to face her and reach for her hand, "Baby… have I done something wrong?" I ask and this gets her attention and she turns towards me in surprise, but tellingly I notice she is finding it difficult to maintain eye contact with me.

"No, what makes you think that?" she says.

I reach for her and pull her into my arms and let out a loud sigh. "The fact that after the interview you practically ran from the room, you organised a meeting with the editors over lunchtime, you didn't come to see me once this afternoon and from the moment we left the office till now you have barely spoken half a dozen words to me, and before you deny it… I noticed the change in your demeanour the moment I answered that question about having children… that was when things changed" I say and I wait. As soon as the word children is mentioned again, I feel her stiffen and with that I know that this is the issue.

I press a kiss to her head and hold her as I wait patiently for her to tell me.

After what seems like an eternity of silence Ana finally speaks, in a small voice.

"I got scared" she whispers.

"About what baby? Talk to me please, tell me what's worrying you" I urge.

I watch her carefully and I see tears beginning to well up in her eyes and I pull her into my lap.

"Oh baby, don't cry! Just talk to me and tell me what your fears are, that's what I am here for" I say.

"I can't be a mother, and now I'm scared that because you want children and that… I don't, that you will leave me" she whispers so quietly that I barely hear it.

"Ok… and what makes you think that you can't be a mom?" I ask gently. I put aside her fears about me leaving her for the moment as I address one issue at a time.

She turns and looks at me incredulously, "Christian look at my role model, my mother had no idea how to be a mom… what if I turn out like her?" she says.

I can't help it and before I can stop myself, I laugh out loud at that. "Ana, baby… I'm sorry for laughing but that has to be the most ridiculous thing you have ever said! You had an outstanding role model for a parent all your life in Ray, he made you the person you are today and that is a kind, loving and caring person. I have no doubts whatsoever that you would be an outstanding mom," I pause as I see the unconcealed panic in her eyes at that thought.

"But just like everything else in our relationship, I'm not going to force you into doing anything you don't want to do. Yes, I won't lie, I would love to have kids with you at some point and build a family of our own. But I'm not talking about now or even in five years or so. You are twenty-one years old Ana; you have plenty of time to think about it. Parenthood is a massive step for anyone and not a decision to be taken lightly. We both will have to be one hundred percent sure before we even start trying for a baby and until you are at that point it's a non-issue. I am fine with that, and also get those ideas about me leaving you out of your head because it's not going to happen" I say.

Ana looks up at me and for the first time since the interview this afternoon she makes eye contact with me. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" she whispers.

I lift her chin so she can't look away from me and I press a small kiss to her lips. "You didn't do anything other than be yourself Ana, I fell in love with the beautiful, bright intelligent woman who is kind, caring and who has a beautiful soul. From that brief encounter in Texas all those years ago when I saw that young frightened and sad girl, our destiny together was inevitable" I say with total sincerity.

I watch as more tears ooze out of her eyes and she offers me a small weak but genuine smile.

**oooOOOooo**

_Two days later…_

We are all in the penthouse crowded around the TV as I have a copy of the full interview to view and give my say so on as to whether or not it is to be aired. Everyone is here. Mom, dad, my grandparents and Ray have all come over to watch it with us.

As I switch it on the first thing we see is stock footage of me at different events and shots of Harper House whilst the voice over tells of my remarkable rise in the business world. Then we see Ana, it is footage which they captured whilst they were at Harper House and it shows Ana talking with the editors and quietly working through manuscripts. It tells of how she has come into my life and how we are now a formidable team both professionally and personally.

An outline of my background is given and who my parents are, I watch my mom gush about me proudly as she talks about my achievements and my dad talks of his pride at seeing me make such a success of my life. I glance at my mom and grin. It talks about how both Ana and I came from humble backgrounds and how strong family values were instilled in us by our families. It mentions how Ana was raised by her stepfather and how she was sadly estranged from her mother. You see Ray talk about how proud he is of Ana and everything she has achieved, he also gives his honest views on Carla which although uncomfortably blunt and to the point are incredibly powerful.

The actual interview starts and shows us sitting relaxed on the sofa while a voice over speaks of how open we were to talk about our professional and personal life. My mom looks at me with tears in her eyes as I talk about my love for my parents and how indebted I am to them for the way they raised me and how I believe I wouldn't be where I am today if it hadn't been for them. My dad looks shocked when he hears my views on his role in my life as if that had never occurred to him before.

When the subject of Carla is discussed, it is done well. It has been edited well and as Ana is talking about her time in Texas, the screen cuts away to show court footage of Morton's trial. I am surprised to see this, but it shows just how thoroughly they have researched this. The voice over tells us that Ana's mother now lives in Georgia and could not be reached and failed to respond to their repeated requests to give her views. Ana snorts derisively as she hears it and I smile at that, as along with Ana's comments about Kates actions, it shows how they wanted this to be a balanced programme.

As the interview comes to an end I turn towards Ana and look at her carefully.

"Well… what do you think? Are you happy with it, because I am. They have done an outstanding job" I say.

Ana nods, "they have" she agrees.

"And?" I say.

Ana takes a deep breath, "And, if mom doesn't get the message now then she never will. That was not nasty or vindictive but truthful. It stated the facts and I'm glad we did it because now that all the dirty laundry has been aired there are no secrets left for the media to find out and publish in a salacious or malicious way. Hopefully it will stop my mother trying to cash in on her rose-tinted memories of my childhood now what actually happened is out there. Plus, it stops Kate from meddling in my business any further as by doing this we have effectively made ourselves not a story" she says.

I nod in agreement, "Which was the plan all along" I say.

"What happens now?" my mom asks after a moment.

I turn towards her, "I now make the call and give the go-ahead and it will be aired sometime this week" I say. I pull my phone from my pocket as I am saying that and I make the call to authorise the interview to be aired. Susan is delighted that we are happy with it and thanks me once again for our co-operation.

I am happy that this was done so now hopefully, as Ana has stated, people won't be able to come out of the woodwork and try and cash in on their association with us.

**oooOOOooo**

_Five weeks later…_

I am sitting in my office at Harper House, working my way through a contract which I am going to offer to a company I am considering buying. Things have been quiet since the interview aired. We heard that Carla went back to Georgia with her tail between her legs and we have heard nothing more from her. I think once the interview aired and she saw for herself what an appalling job she did as a mother to Ana there was nowhere else for her to go. Reaction to the interview has been mixed. Generally speaking, it was positive but there are always going to be a few people out there who are vindictive for the sake of it and hide behind the internet to voice their warped views. Ana and I have largely ignored the bottom feeders though as we don't want to draw any more attention to them.

I wasn't surprised when I got a phone call from Eamon Kavanagh after the interview aired, phishing for reasons as to why Kavanagh media hadn't been commissioned to film it. I realised immediately that he was possibly looking for more information on what lay behind Ana's remarks about Kate. I had told him straight that I had dismissed Kavanagh Media as a possible candidate to run the interview, as Ana didn't feel comfortable dealing with them and had no trust in them as it was Kate who had encouraged her mother by misguidedly publishing her lies. I also reiterated her sense of betrayal by Kate because she had not approached her for any comment or given her the opportunity to put her side given the fact, they used to be friends.

I may've also hinted that Kate's unprofessional behaviour and bad journalism could also show Kavanagh Media in a bad light, but I didn't drag up the reasons behind why we think she did what she did. I am certain Kavanagh found out for himself the reasons after he spoke with his daughter, and it was apparent he wasn't impressed by her actions as the next day there was a full-page unreserved apology to Ana penned by Kate in the Kavanagh Media publication which published Carla's stories. I have also heard rumours that she got a complete dressing down for her unprofessional behaviour. As far as I am concerned the matter is now closed. Ana and I can get on with our lives and move on from this whole episode.

As I am making notes on the contract my desk phone buzzes and I reach for it.

"Harper" I state as I answer and as I hear Jason speak, I sit up a little straighter at the tone of his voice.

"Mr Harper, is Mrs Harper there with you?" I pause and frown.

"No… Ana hasn't been to see me all morning, why?" I ask.

"I don't want to alarm you sir, but she appears to be missing" Jason says.

I stand up quickly at this and rub my face, "What do you mean, missing?" I ask.

"She was due in a meeting with the non-fiction editor about a book which is due to go online shortly and she didn't show up. She's not answering her phone and I can't track her location so it appears she has switched it off" he says.

"Have you checked the security footage?" I ask.

"Yes sir, she was seen going in the direction of the bathroom at about 10.30 this morning. Soon afterwards she came out and went to her office, then she was seen in the lobby at about 10.55 and she went out of the main entrance. She hasn't taken the car so wherever she is she has gone on foot or taken public transport" he says.

I run my hands through my hair, shit! What has she done? I have noticed she has been quite moody and tearful the past few days, I put it down to her time of the month as I've noticed she does suffer with PMS. But this is totally out of character behaviour for her.

"Alright, thank you Jason… keep trying to locate her and I'll make a few calls" I say.

"Yes sir" Jason says and the line goes dead.

I pull my cell phone from my pocket and look at it, who to call first? I go with the obvious and call Ray.

I wait as the call is connected and I jump in before he has barely had chance to say his greeting.

"Ray, have you spoken to Ana this morning at all?" I ask.

There is a brief silence before he speaks.

"Good morning to you too Christian, and no I haven't… why?" he asks.

"Because she is missing" I blurt out.

"What!?" he asks and I can hear the concern in his voice.

I quickly run through Ana's off behaviour recently, and how I put it down to her time of the month. Then I tell him about her out of character behaviour this morning and everything that Jason disclosed.

There is a long silence before Ray speaks, but when he does what he says makes me go cold with fear.

"She's running, she's done this before. Something major has happened and she has gone into a blind panic about it" he says.

"Do you have any idea where she will go?" I ask.

"She likes open spaces, she says it clears her head" he says.

Well that's not entirely helpful as that doesn't narrow it down at all, but I thank Ray and hang up. I grab my jacket and phone and leave my office. I tell Andrea to clear my schedule for the rest of the day and reschedule my meetings.

As I am going down in the elevator, I pull open Google maps and look helplessly at the local area. Where is she? I try calling her and I get no reply. The elevator doors open and I stride out whilst trying to stop the rising panic. As I try and clear my mind and think where she could possibly be, my phone starts to buzz. I glance down and see mom's name on the screen.

"Mom" I say by way of greeting as I answer, unable to keep my worry out of my voice.

"From the sound of your voice you are worried about Ana, well stop as she is with me, here at the hospital" my mom says.

I come to a complete halt at that and nearly fall to my knees with relief.

"With you? What's happening? Is she ok? Why?" I blurt out.

"Christian, calm down. She's quite upset at the moment and before you come rushing over, don't… she doesn't know I'm calling you. I knew you would be worried when you realised that she had gone and that is the only reason why I am calling you, to let you know she is safe. So, you can stop worrying".

"Ok" I say lamely and after a few more words with my mom I hang up and head towards Jason's office.

"You can stop the search, she's safe" I say as I walk in. Jason stands and looks at me questioningly.

"Sir?" he says simply.

I nod, "Yes, my mother just called, Ana is with her at the hospital. She isn't hurt she just went to my mom". I do feel a little hurt that she felt she couldn't come to me. But I quickly dismiss that as I know Ana is close to my mom and I'm glad she felt she could turn to her, but I am wondering what the hell has happened for her to do this.

"Do we know why she left?" Jason asks carefully.

I shake my head, "No, my mom just said she was upset and the only reason she called me was because she knew I would be worried when I discovered that she had gone," I say.

Jason nods, but doesn't say anything so I try and cover my concern with a tight smile as I quickly add, "So, I just suggest we sit tight and try and get on with our day until we find out what the hell is happening".

**(ELLA)**

My morning has been quite slow. I have had my usual clinic and I am scheduled to be in the Paediatric ER this afternoon, but for now I am just catching up on some paperwork. As I finish off there is a knock at the door.

"Come in!" I call and as the door opens, I smile as I see Grace standing there.

That smile fades as I see the serious expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" I ask, immediately on alert at her demeanour.

"Ella, I think you need to come quickly" Grace says.

I drop the file on my desk and walk towards her.

"Why? What's happened?" I ask as Grace leads me from the room towards a small treatment room down the corridor.

"Ana is here and she is very distressed. She's not making any sense, so I put her in here while I came to fetch you" Grace says as she points to the small room.

"Ana?" I say stupidly. My brain is having difficulty catching up with what Grace has said. "Thank you, Grace," I say as I try and make sense of what is happening.

I push open the door and Ana is pacing around the room like a caged animal, she looks up and as she sees me she just bursts into tears and runs to me.

I hold open my arms and envelope her in a huge hug and just hold her while she cries almost hysterically on my shoulder.

"What's happened sweetie? Come on let's sit down and you can talk to me" I say gently. My mind is running riot at this moment. I can't honestly believe that Christian has done something to cause this, but something has obviously happened for her to be in this state and the fact she has come to me tells me it is something she isn't comfortable discussing with him.

I lead her to a group of chairs and I sit down beside her and reach for her hand. She is still sobbing bitterly and I don't have the heart to push her to say anything yet.

Eventually she seems to calm down and her breath is coming out raggedly as she tries to take control of herself.

"Ok, now take your time and tell me what this is all about… has Christian done something?" I ask warily.

Ana looks at me with wide eyes and shakes her head, "No, he's done nothing wrong… but it's just…" she trails off and the tears start to flow again.

"Let me get you a drink, would you like a cup of tea or something?" I ask as I remember Ana prefers tea to coffee. She considers that and nods gratefully.

"Thank you" she whispers.

I poke my head out the door and call toward a nurse who is standing chatting at the desk and ask her to bring some tea into the treatment room. She nods and I head back inside. I sit myself back down beside Ana and take her hand in mine. She is absolutely freezing, which tells me she is in shock about something. I open a cupboard and find a foil blanket and wrap it around her carefully.

"You are freezing, here put this around you so you can try and warm up" I say. The door opens and the nurse appears with two cups of tea which she leaves on the table beside us before she quickly leaves us alone.

"Does Christian know that you are here?" I ask and Ana shakes her head.

"No, I just left, I didn't tell anyone where I was going. I panicked and just ran" she says.

"Alright… well why did you run? What happened to frighten you?" I ask.

Ana reaches for the tea and sips it slowly. I don't push her and wait patiently for her to open up.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do" she mutters after a moment.

"Do about what?" I ask.

She looks up at me and I see the fear in her eyes, "I'm pregnant" she whispers.

My first reaction is one of joy, a grandchild. But I can see this is not happy news as far as Ana is concerned. I wonder why as I know Christian wants a family and he said as much in the interview. It clearly isn't planned but I am wondering why she has had such a profoundly negative reaction to this news.

"You are not happy about this?" I ask and I see tears well up in Ana's eyes once more and she shakes her head.

"No" she whispers and puts her head down.

"Alright… don't get upset. Why aren't you happy?"

Ana looks up at me with a bleak expression, "because I have no idea how to be a mom, I would be terrible at it, what if I'm like my mom? I grew up with no example of how a mom should behave I don't know what to do, plus I'm not ready… I have a career and…" she stops and her eyes widen as she realises what she has said, "Oh god I'm so sorry" she gasps.

I shake my head and reach for her; she is clearly panic stricken at this news and feeling totally overwhelmed by it.

"You must think I'm a complete idiot. After what you went through, you were only sixteen when you found out you were expecting Christian and yet I bet you didn't behave like I am doing, I'm sorry I should never have come here" Ana says and as she stands to leave I also stand quickly and grasp her hand.

"Now you stop right there. You are going to sit down and relax; you are _not_ stupid and all these feelings you are having are totally valid and nothing to be ashamed of or apologise for. I'm glad you came to me as I have some empathy with how you are feeling at this moment. Finding out you are pregnant when it isn't planned is a shock to anyone no matter how old you are so sit down, come on" I say.

Ana hesitates and then sits down beside me once more.

I look at her carefully and I think about how I am going to word what I say next.

"Ana, I had no point of reference for what a mom should be like either. I've told you stories of what my parents were like. But in a way they did give a place to start from. As I knew in my heart I would never behave towards my child the way they treated me, and that was my starting point knowing that as long as I did better than they did I'd be doing a good job" I say with a small smile.

Ana looks up at me as she considers this and nods.

"Also Ana, you have had a massively positive influence in your life – Ray" I say gently and I am relieved when Ana smiles.

"Christian said that when we talked about children previously" Ana says.

"So, you've talked about having children?" I ask.

Ana nods, "I had a bit of a meltdown after the interview when Christian told them that he wanted to have children. I panicked as I didn't and I was scared that he would leave me. We talked it through and I thought that would be it and I would be able to come to terms with the idea and given time say in a few years or so I might consider trying for a baby… but it's too soon, I wasn't expecting this – how did this happen, I'm on the pill for god's sake?" she is starting to get agitated again and I reach for her and pull her into my arms.

"Ana sweetheart, no contraception is one hundred per cent" I say and then I remember the bug she caught on the day she returned from honeymoon. She was being violently sick and was quite ill for a couple of days.

"Ana do you remember how sick you were when you left Hawaii?" I say gently and she nods.

"Well, that sort of illness can have a detrimental effect on the contraceptive pill, and not to be indelicate but I'm guessing considering you were both on your honeymoon you erm…" I pause and Ana flushes and then nods. "And once you were well again you also…?" I add and she nods again.

"I think that is your likely reason then" I say.

"Did you always know you were keeping your baby?" she asks suddenly and I am surprised by the change in direction.

I nod, "yes, there were no doubts in my mind. Part of it was probably down to stubbornness as my parents were trying to force me to abort Christian but I knew I couldn't go through with it. I knew I loved Dan and it wasn't the baby's fault we had made a mistake" I say.

Ana nods and sips her tea again. She is unnaturally quiet now and I decide I should call Christian as he is bound to either know or soon know that his wife is missing.

"I just need to use the bathroom" I say and I pat Ana's arm as I leave the room. As soon as I am outside I pull my cell phone from my pocket and call my son. When he answers I know immediately that he is frantic and so I try and calm him down and reassure him without saying anything as that would be a gross betrayal of the trust Ana has put in me.

When I'm sure my son is not going to come charging to the hospital, I return to the small treatment room. Ana looks up as I walk in and I smile brightly before sitting down next to her again.

"Do you think you should call Christian? He'll be worrying wondering where you are," I say and Ana nods.

"I will, I just need to try and get everything straight in my head before I tell him" she says and I nod, I can understand that.

"I have no idea where to start though" she says after another brief silence.

I recall the time Dan and I went to Harvard when Christian was struggling and considering dropping out. It's not the same but I remember how we had sat and gone through all the pros and cons and talked it through. I wonder if that would help here?

"Ana, why don't we look at it logically, let's go through all the pros and cons and see if that helps you see things a little clearer?" I say.

She nods and I go to the drawer and pull out some paper and a pen.

"Alright then, pros and cons" I say as I split the paper in half. Ana watches me and straight away she comes up with the biggest con.

"I'm not ready for this" she says so I write that down in the cons column.

"Christian would be happy" she mutters and I write that down in the pros.

"Just because it would make Christian happy isn't a reason to go through with it if you are totally against the idea as you would end up resenting him" I say.

"I'm scared" she says and I smile and write that down.

"I don't know how to be a mom" she says and so that one also gets written down, she looks at the growing list of cons.

"I'm not doing very well with the pros am I?" she says quietly. I pause and look up at her.

"It's not a competition, what we are doing here is facing the reasons you came here today so upset and distressed at the very thought of having a baby, when we have that list complete we can go through it and discuss each one and I will offer my own opinions on the matter for you to think about, not to try and change your mind but to just offer a different perspective… does that sound ok?" I ask.

Ana nods and for the first time she gives me a hopeful smile.

"Ok anything else you can think of?" I ask.

Ana shakes her head, "No I don't think so" she says.

I look down at the list, "well your list is pretty similar to the one I wrote out when I first discovered that I was pregnant with Christian, in fact yours is far more positive than mine. I can remember mine as if it was yesterday. I sat in my bedroom with a pen and sheet of paper much like we have done here today and I went through everything, my cons were very similar to yours actually; that I wasn't ready, I was far too young, and I had no idea how to be a mother. I also had financial concerns on my list, as I was just sixteen and I knew my parents wouldn't financially support me _and_ a baby. Your one pro was the fact you are confident that Christian would be happy about the news, but I didn't even have that one as I had no idea how Dan was going to react. I had seen other girls get dumped by their boyfriends and have no other choice but to put their children up for adoption or seek a termination, because they had no support and the fathers didn't want to know and refused to acknowledge and claim the children they had helped make. You mentioned the fact you have a blossoming career earlier, but you didn't mention that when we started writing the list, but that was also a huge thing on my list. I was a straight A grade student and I had ambitions to become a doctor. Having a baby was not on my immediate to do list at all for a number of years".

Ana is listening carefully to me and she leans closer, "so despite all those cons, you still had no hesitation but to go through with it?" she says.

I nod, "I did, my father was adamant that I was going to have an abortion whether I wanted one or not. He and my mother tried to brainwash me into agreeing but I couldn't do that. I eventually ran away and slept rough for a number of weeks until it became too cold for me to continue. That was when I bit the bullet and went to Dan. I was lucky, Dan stood by me and his parents took me in, supported us and helped us. There was no way I could've done it without the support network I had around me".

Ana stops and thinks about that, "I guess… I guess I wouldn't be facing this alone either, I mean I've already said Christian would be happy about it. Ray would also be happy about the news" she pauses and looks at me carefully and I smile.

"You don't have to ask Ana you have my support and Dan would be over the moon about being a granddad. Paul and Kristy would also be on hand to offer you help, as they did with us. They would be overjoyed to see a great grandchild. But it's not down to us, you are the one who has to carry the baby for nine months and go through the associated difficulties that pregnancy brings".

"We don't have any financial concerns, our baby would want for nothing, Christian would make sure of that" Ana says quietly, "and I'm sure he would help me if I wanted to resume my career afterwards" she adds.

As I watch her I can see she is slowly warming to the idea and seeing it's not as scary as she first thought. I watch as she stands and walks around the room then her hands slowly moves to her stomach.

"I couldn't go through a termination… it's not the baby's fault I got sick and it interfered with my contraception" she says and she paces some more before turning to face me.

"I think I need to talk to Christian" she says and I smile and nod at her.

"Would you like me to call him?" I ask. Ana thinks about that and nods.

"Just give me a minute" I say and I step outside the room and reach for my phone once more.

Christian picks up on the first ring, "mom, how is she?" he asks anxiously.

"She's ready to talk to you, do you want to come to the hospital and pick her up?" I ask.

"I'm on my way" he replies and the line goes dead.

I smile as I look at my phone, "bye Christian" I say dryly as I push my phone into my pocket.

I walk to the desk and speak to one of the nurses, "Can you page Dr Green for me please" I say and I wait. A few moments later the phone rings and I quickly answer.

"Yvette it's Ella, listen can I ask a favour?" I begin.

"Go on" Yvette says with more than a little amusement in her tone.

"My daughter in law has just discovered she is pregnant, she is freaking out somewhat about it and I think it might be a nice idea if she could see the baby for herself. She is very newly pregnant, I'm not even sure how many weeks we are talking but my son is on his way here and she is going to tell him, if I send them up to you would you fit them in and see them?" I ask.

There is a brief silence and then she sighs.

"What's her name?" she asks and I know she will do this.

"Ana, Anastasia Harper" I say gratefully.

"Alright, as it's you Ella I'll do this" she says.

"Thanks Yvette" I say and I hang up.

I go back into the little room where Ana is sitting running her hand over her stomach.

"Ana, Christian is on his way… I've spoken to Dr Green, she is an OB/GYN – one of the best. She said she'd fit you in and see you if you want to, after you have told Christian" I say.

Ana nods, "Thank you, I think I'd like that" she says.

A short while later I look out of the window to see my son striding purposefully across the car park.

"Christian is here" I say, "wait here and I'll go and meet him" I add. Ana nods and once again I see fear appearing in her eyes.

I walk outside and see Christian approach and I see the look of relief on his face when he spots me.

"What's going on mom?" he asks as soon as he reaches me.

"It's fine, she got some news and it freaked her out, she was afraid and things spiralled out of control a little as she tried to make sense of what was happening, but I think she's fine now" I say.

I lead him inside and into the little room and as soon as Ana sets eyes on him she bursts into tears again.

He pulls her into his arms and holds her tightly, "What's going on, why did you run? I've been frantic, what's happened?" he asks as he holds her and repeatedly kisses her.

I take a step back and Ana looks up at me, I'm not certain if it is reassurance she is seeking but I give it to her with a little nod and smile. She takes a deep breath and looks up at Christian.

"I'm sorry, I kind of freaked out a bit" she says nervously.

"Why?" he asks, totally bewildered by what is happening.

"I… I'm pregnant" she says.

"What!?" he says as his jaw drops.

"I'm pregnant" she repeats and she pushes away from him and turns to her purse, she pulls out a box and reaching for a tissue from the box on the table she pulls out a small stick and shows him the evidence.

"I'm late so I got a test, I was scared. I did it in the bathroom at work this morning and then when it came back that I am… that was when I freaked out, I had no idea what I was thinking and I just… ran. I'm so sorry Christian, I was scared and I didn't think and I…" she stops as Christian holds up his hand.

"Baby, stop" he says and he takes the test and stares at it as if it is something precious.

"I'm going to be a daddy?" he says after a moment and Ana nods.

He drops the test to the floor and sweeps Ana up in his arms and holds her tightly. Then it's as if he realises that she wasn't so happy about this news and he looks at her carefully.

"Are you ok with this…? I mean you said…?" he says.

Ana looks at me again and I give her another reassuring smile.

"I'll leave you two to talk but don't forget the appointment with Dr Green" I say.

Ana nods, "Thank you for everything" she says gratefully.

"No problem, that's what I'm here for" I reply and with that I slip quietly from the room, my work here is done.


	15. Chapter 15

**AUTHORS NOTE: Well here it is, the final chapter! I just want to say a massive thank you to all those who read, reviewed, followed and favoured this story. The response has been beyond phenomenal and has far exceeded my wildest expectations.**

**It was never meant to be this long, only ever intentionally being a one-shot but then it kind of took on a life of its own and just grew, but with that growth it also ended up falling victim to writers block as I wanted to write something different and practically every possible scenario concerning Christian and Ana has already been done. The original premise for my story was quite simple, what if Ella hadn't died? What if she raised Christian in an idyllic – almost too good to be true family so he wasn't the complicated man riddled with issues in adulthood, would he still be the success he was in canon without the influence of Carrick and Grace (and also arguably Elena) and would he still meet Ana? I decided the answer to all that was yes and that was where I began. It was easy writing about Ella as she was essentially a blank canvass but it was when I reached Christian's relationship with Ana that I ground to a halt and it took me a long while to figure out the direction I should take with Ana and Christian's relationship, and that was focussing on Ana's issues. She had many of them in canon but they were somewhat overshadowed by Christian's and dismissed. So, I took that as my starting point and ran with it and whilst giving her some different issues to deal with along with her lack of self-esteem which was more than apparent in canon, I didn't touch upon her obvious eating disorder. By essentially switching the characters I thankfully overcame the block and finally got a complete story.**

**I am feeling a smug sense of satisfaction now that I have actually finished it as it took so long to get it to this point. I feared it would never see the light of day and the fact it took four years to get a basic story down in skeleton form doesn't really bode well for the others I still have as works in progress on my laptop. However, this one **_**is**_** now complete and a massive thank you to everyone who has read and (hopefully) enjoyed it.**

**One small final point, you may notice this final chapter begins very similarly to the opening chapter of the story, that is deliberate and not just me being lazy and copying what I had already written. I wanted to end the story showing the son experiencing what his own father did before him at the beginning.**

CHAPTER 15

_Nine Months later…_

**(CHRISTIAN)**

"Come on Ana you can do it, you've got this!" I say as I encourage my beautiful wife to continue pushing.

She is covered in sweat and is obviously tired from the long labour she has endured.

She looks up at me, her long brunette hair plastered against her forehead. I press the damp wash cloth to her head once more.

"Come on baby, nearly there" I coax and I grimace as she grips my hand tightly and pushes again.

I glance nervously at the doctor and she is telling Ana to push and then she looks up at me, as she makes eye contact with me, she smiles reassuringly.

"He's a big boy and she is petite so it was always going to be hard work for her" she says.

Ana looks up at me and I lean down and kiss her, "Come on baby you are doing brilliantly" I say and Ana smiles although she is so obviously exhausted. She takes a deep breath, grips my hand even tighter and pushes and then she screams out and I see our son's head now outside Ana's body. I smile as I see the mass of copper hair, my copper hair.

"I can see him Ana! Come on baby you've got this. Push him out, you are doing so well" I say.

Ana has my hand in a grip of iron and she pushes again and then his shoulders are clear and our son slips from her body. Almost immediately an angry cry fills our ears and I hear Ana gasp at the sound. I look down at her and see she is crying.

I also have tears flowing freely and I press a kiss to her soaked forehead. "You did it, you did it. I love you so much Ana and you were amazing baby" I say as the emotion I am feeling is overwhelming me.

"Congratulations Mrs Harper, Mr Harper you have a very healthy baby son". I look up at the doctor and see my son wriggling angrily in her hands as she moves towards us. My breath catches as I watch as the baby is placed in Ana's arms and she protectively holds him and tries to comfort him and calm his screams. Her tears are flowing freely, as are mine as I take in my little family.

"Oh god Christian look at him" Ana says and I smile through the tears as I gaze down at our son who has now calmed and who is blinking up at Ana.

"He's beautiful," I say as I press another kiss to her temple, I reach down and touch our son's head with my finger, I can't quite get my head around the fact that we actually made this precious little man. "Thank you baby, I am so proud of you" I say and I kiss Ana once again.

"I can't believe we made him, someone so beautiful. He's so perfect and not to mention the fact that he is so obviously yours! You have stamped yourself all over him" Ana says and I let out a small laugh, as there is no mistaking who his parents are. His face is scrunched up and red but his unmistakable copper hair, his nose and jawline make it obvious that I am his father, that red hair though is the most obvious marker - that beacon which runs through the entire Harper family. He opens his eyes and I gasp at the blueness. He has Ana's eyes, yes he clearly favours me in looks but I also see Ana in him and I believe that he is a perfect mixture of us both.

"If we could just take him and check him over" the doctor says gently and I watch as Ana reluctantly hands our son over. As the doctor walks away, Ana pushes me.

"Go with him Christian" she says anxiously and I nod as I follow the doctor and watch as all the checks are undertaken.

The doctor gives a running commentary as she completes the checks and then wraps him and places him in my arms. I feel an enormous sense of responsibility and the protectiveness instincts kick in and kick in hard. I wonder if this is how my dad felt the first time he held me. He was only a teenager when he was faced with this kind of responsibility and I am nearly ten years older than he was when he faced it and in a significantly better position in life than he was. But I'm not scared to admit that it is still daunting. This tiny helpless baby is reliant on Ana and I doing the right thing and I am filled with a renewed sense of awe and gratitude at what he and my mom did and the decisions they made.

"Mr Harper your parents are waiting outside" a nurse says and I smile, of course they are, as their support is unwavering. I want to take my son out to meet his grandparents. I look towards Ana who nods.

"Go and show him off, I know you want to" she says with a tired smile.

I step outside the delivery room with my son in my arms and as I do so my mother spots me and stands up. I am not surprised to see the group of people waiting. I smile as I note everyone is here, my mom, dad, granddad, gran, Aunty Tia, my dad's sister Aunty Mel is also here and granddads brother, Uncle Tony and they all surge towards me with joyful smiles on their faces and their eyes fixed on the small bundle in my arms.

"Jeez mom did you broadcast it to the world!" I say sarcastically as I look around.

When Ana had gone into labour the only people I told were Ray and my mother and it seems she told everyone else.

"How's Ana?" my mom asks, totally ignoring my sarcastic remark and I smile.

"She was amazing mom. She's obviously tired and probably sore as he is big so it took a lot of effort, but she did it and I am totally in awe of her" I say.

My mom smiles, "Yes he is a big boy, he clearly takes after his daddy" she says.

"Does he have a name?" my dad asks and I nod.

"He does, Raymond Daniel Harper" I say and I watch as my dad swallows hard and blinks furiously. "He's named after two of the best dads in the world" I add.

My mom runs her hand up and down my arm, "that's lovely, and I'm sure Ray is going to be so proud!" she says.

"Is he here?" I ask, looking around for my father in law.

"I don't think he has arrived yet" she says. She has barely got the words out of her mouth as I hear my name called.

"Christian!" I look up and see Ray striding towards me.

"Hi Ray, meet your grandson" I say as he reaches me. He looks down at my son and a bright smile fills his face.

"Well there's no denying his parentage" Ray states with a grin as he runs his finger through my son's hair.

I laugh, "Ray this is Raymond Daniel Harper… we named him after you and my dad, the two best dads in the world" I say and I watch as Ray looks stunned by this news. "I just hope I live up to the very high benchmark you two have set" I add.

He swallows hard. "Well, I'm certain you'll do fine and I'm touched… and I have no idea what to say," he says gruffly.

"How's Annie?" he adds after a moment.

"She's fine, tired and sore but fine, she was amazing" I say as I think of my brilliant wife.

My son starts to fuss and wriggle and I look down at him. "I'm going to take him back now, as he hasn't been fed yet" I say and everyone nods. I pause and look at my mom.

"Would you come with us mom… and check him over? The doctor already checked him but…" I trail off and my mom smiles.

"Of course I will" she says and she follows me back into the delivery room where Ana looks up as we walk in.

My mom goes to her and hugs her tightly, "Ana sweetheart congratulations, he's beautiful" she says. Then my mom takes our son from me and unwrapping him she checks him over.

"Well?" I ask nervously as I watch her closely.

My mom looks up at me and smiles, "He's absolutely fine… he's perfect" she states and she wraps him up and hands him back to me. Ana smiles and as our son lets out a small cry her eyes instinctively zero in on him and she holds out her arms.

I place our son into them and she opens her shirt. I smile as I watch her care for our son. She has nothing to worry about, her maternal instincts are strong as I knew they would be – she is nothing like Carla! My mom offers her some tips on getting him to latch on and I watch as after a few attempts Ana succeeds to get him to latch on and as he does so she looks up at me triumphantly and then down at our son as he sucks noisily at her breast. When he has finished, I take him from her and carefully burp him and we both giggle as he lets out a loud belch.

My mom is watching with tears in her eyes, "this takes me back" she mutters and I look up at her and then I remember everyone else waiting patiently outside, and I am certain Ray would like to come in and see Ana.

"Are you up for seeing a few visitors baby? Ray is here and dad and… well everyone is here" I say with a shrug.

Ana nods and I go out and fetch them to come in, while my mom stays with Ana.

A few moments later the small room is full, as everyone is giving Ana hugs and congratulating her. I watch my dad and granddad fussing over my son. Uncle Tony slaps me on the shoulder and I see Ray sitting beside Ana and talking to her.

I take it all in, these people are the ones who mean the most to me and to Ana, they are our family. I know instinctively that if I was to pick up the phone at any time and asked for their help not one of them would hesitate and would be by my side as soon as humanly possible. I look at my mom who at this moment is good naturedly berating my dad about something and I smile, my mom is awesome and if I was to be totally honest I now realise that I gravitated towards Ana because she reminded me a lot of my mom, physically she resembles her a little she is the same stature and she is a brunette, and she suffered with an appalling mother – just like my mom did. I look at Ana and I find myself thinking about Carla. After the interview we heard nothing more from her, until it was announced publicly that Ana was pregnant. After that had happened she had suddenly and unexpectedly come out of the woodwork and called Ana to berate her for having a baby so young. Telling her she was throwing her life away sacrificing it for a snotty brat and that she would be better off getting rid of it and concentrating on enjoying spending my money. Ana had been in floods of tears when I had found her after that call. I had been furious and my mind unconsciously remembers that time…

"_Ana!" I call, I have been holed up in my study dealing with an issue at HEH and I am not in the best mood. I like to leave work at the office and it is very rare that I deal with anything to do with HEH at weekends. This was unavoidable though and now its sorted so I go in search of my wife to enjoy the rest of our weekend._

_I pause as I walk into the great room and look around, she is nowhere to be seen and I frown wondering where she is and I call her again._

"_Ana!" I call and pause to listen._

_That is when I hear the quiet sobbing. I go cold and follow the sound to our bedroom. As I open the door, I find Ana curled up on my side of the bed with her cell phone at her side and numerous screwed up tissues surrounding her._

"_Baby?" I ask nervously, all sorts of scenario's running through my mind at the sight in front of me._

_I crouch down in front of her and push her damp hair from her face._

"_Talk to me baby, what's happened… do you feel ill? Do we need to go to the hospital?" I ask._

_Ana shakes her head, "Mom called" she mutters quietly._

_Carla! I might've fucking guessed. Since the news that Ana was expecting a baby hit the media she as surfaced and tried repeatedly to call her. But Ana just blocked her number on her phone and she doesn't get past the switchboard at HEH"._

"_How did she manage to get through to you?" I ask and Ana shakes her head sadly._

"_She used a different number" she says and looks at me sheepishly._

_I have told Ana repeatedly not to answer the phone when it is a number she doesn't recognise and I sigh and shake my head. I'm not going to berate her for that now though as whatever has happened it has obviously upset her._

_I rise up and gesture to the bed, "Shift over and let me up" I say and as Ana shuffles to her own side of the bed I climb on beside her and pull her close._

"_Sorry, I like lying on your side as it smells of you" she whispers and I smile at that._

"_What did she say to you?" I ask._

"_She was awful… when I answered she started by saying that she had heard the news about the baby. She asked me if I thought it was right and proper that she find out that way. I told her that as she was dead to me, I wasn't about to make any effort to call her to share my news with her. That set her off and she said that I was stupid letting you get me pregnant… she said that I had my whole life in front of me and now I was going to be tied down with a screaming snotty brat". I feel my anger rising at that, and considering how freaked out Ana had been when she first discovered she was pregnant I can't help but wonder if she agrees with anything her mother said._

"_She was awful Christian, she even told me that my best course of action would be to get rid of it and concentrate on just spending your money" she stops and starts crying bitterly again._

"_Shit" I mutter and I am now wracking my brains wondering what I can do to get that woman out of Ana's life once and for all._

"_Don't listen to her baby" I say gently._

_She shakes her head, "I'm not, but she was so vile. I hate her Christian, I know that sounds a terrible thing to say but I do actually hate her, how could anyone say something so awful to their own daughter?"_

_I hold her tightly in my arms, "the way I see it baby is… it's jealousy, pure and simple. She had you really young and she wasn't cut out to be a mom. Your dad died and she attached herself to Ray but she was resentful of the situation she was in and fought against it all her life. She saw you make such a success of your life and she is jealous. Jealous of her own daughter and what she has achieved is small and petty but as we have already established your mom… well she isn't a mom is she?" I say. I have no idea what I am saying, I just hope it offers Ana some sort of comfort._

_Ana squeezes me, "your mom was even younger but she didn't behave like that… all my life I thought… I always wondered if it was my fault" she says._

_I turn and face her shaking my head adamantly, "no baby, no fucking way!" I say more sharply than I intended._

"_You listen to me Ana and you listen good, you are not to blame for any of your moms decisions. She is a vile toxic woman and that is down to her not you" I say. _

"_But I ruined Ray's life, he only put up with her because of me" she argues and I am at a loss, I have no idea what to say to her, so I pull out my phone and call Ray. Ana watches me her eyes wide as she realises what I am doing._

"_Hello Ray" I say as I keep my gaze fixed on Ana._

"_Hello son, how are you?" Ray says casually._

_I smile as I hear his easy-going voice, "yes… I'm good thanks" I begin and I work out what I am going to say next as Ray asks how Ana is._

"_Is Annie ok? And the baby?" he asks._

_I take a deep breath "The baby is fine, Ana… not so much" I begin._

"_Why, what's happened?" he asks now on full alert._

"_She has got herself in a bit of a state, which is why I am calling you… you see Carla has found out about the baby and she called Ana and got into her head, and now Ana is beating herself up thinking everything is her fault. I need you to talk some sense into her as she is saying some silly things - she just said that she ruined your life, because you only stuck it out with Carla because of her". I feel like a schoolboy tattling on his friend but I have no idea what to say to convince Ana that what she is thinking isn't true, the only person who can do that is Ray._

_There is a long silence, "that fucking woman" I hear him mutter, there is another lengthy silence and then he speaks again, "put Annie on the phone please Christian" he says and I am shocked at the tone of his voice and I wonder if I have done the right thing. But I wordlessly hold out the phone to Ana and my eyebrows are raised._

_I watch as she hesitantly takes it and says hello, I listen as she repeats everything she has just told me and then she is silent as I realise Ray is talking to her. I watch and see tears oozing from her eyes and then she starts to sob and I wonder what he is saying to her._

"_I'm sorry daddy" she whispers eventually and lets out a loud sniff. She looks up at me, "Ok, yes… I know that logically but I just let her get into my head… ok… thank you daddy… yes… and I love you too… bye daddy" she says and holds my phone out to me._

_I take it from her, "hello" I say._

"_Thank you for calling me, I think I've put her straight. If that woman calls again let me know" he says. I assure him I will and with that we say our goodbyes…_

"Penny for them?" I am pulled from my thoughts and memories by my mom at my side. I turn towards her and smile.

"You looked deep in thought there" she adds, looking at me carefully.

I glance at Ana who is still talking happily with Ray and I step away, "I was just thinking about Carla of all people" I whisper, as I don't want Ana to hear me.

My mom's jaw drops and her eyes widen, "What the fuck were you thinking about _her _for?" she hisses.

I smile at her reaction; she had been incandescent when she had found out about what Carla had said to Ana. Ana was finally putting her past behind her, and after her meltdown over the idea of the pregnancy she had been working hard with her therapist and dealing with all her fears of motherhood. She had been working out why she had felt she had to run when she first discovered the fact she was pregnant, and it all came down to Carla and the way Carla had treated her all her life. She was dealing with it and coming to terms with everything when Carla had tried to contact her again. Mom was worried it would set Ana back, but apart from the initial shock of the call which had reduced her to tears and the wobble she had, which had resulted in me calling Ray. Ana had surprised us all by dismissing Carla's poisonous rants as soon as she thought through them logically.

Carla had tried once more to contact Ana but she had made the mistake of doing so when she was out with my mother. My mom had snatched the phone from Ana and let rip, telling Carla exactly what she thought of her and pointing out to her exactly why Ana wanted nothing to do with her. Carla had tried to argue with her but my mom had a response and answer for everything Carla threw at her. In the end she had simply just hung up on my mom in a huff. Carrick had stepped in at this point and sent Carla a strongly worded legal letter telling her to stop harassing Ana or legal steps would be taken to force her to do so. Since then we have heard nothing more from her.

"The enormity of the occasion hit me, I first thought of you and dad, and when I held Raymond for the first time, I wondered if dad felt how I was feeling when he held me. Then as I was watching everyone. All our family here helping us celebrate Raymond's birth, it made me realise how we support each other and how we are always there for each other. I was also watching Ana and seeing what a natural mom she is. It was instinctive for her and despite the fact she had no faith in her abilities for a long time I knew she could be a good mom. But that inevitably led on to the one person who _isn't_ a good mom, _isn't_ here and never will be involved in Raymond's life and I was remembering what a bitch she was". I say.

My mom shakes her head and grips my arm, "Don't give that fucking woman a single thought. She is not worth your time or effort. If Ana decides she wants to contact her and speak with her at some point then that's different, you swallow your words, your pride and your feelings on the matter and you just support her…" I open my mouth to protest but she holds up her hand to stop me. "However…" she says and I close my mouth again.

"However, I don't think Ana will do that. She has been working so hard with John to try and repair the damage that woman inflicted on her and she really doesn't want anything to do with her. She has Ray, and she has all of us… did you know she has started calling me mom?" my mom says with a quiet sense of pride.

I shake my head, "No, I didn't" I say surprised at that.

Mom nods, "Yes it was that day after I gave both barrels to Carla, she thanked me and then she said I had been more of a mom to her than her own, and then she asked me if I'd mind if she called me mom. Obviously, I was delighted and told her I didn't mind at all" she says with a wide grin.

"Christian!" I look towards my grandfather who has a grimace on his face. Ana is looking up at him in obvious amusement and my dad has his hand over his mouth trying to hide his smile.

"What?" I ask.

"Your son needs changing" my granddad says.

Oh shit, I glance at Ana who is just looking at me expectantly. I hesitantly walk over to my grandfather and retrieve my son from him. My nose wrinkles because I can immediately smell the devastation in the diaper and I look at my mom helplessly.

"Mom" I whine but she just laughs and shakes her head.

"You've got to learn" she says. She leads me over to the changing table, and a bag appears and is pushed into my hand.

"Put him on here, and get all the things out which you will need" she says.

I look inside the bag and I have no fucking idea where to start. I pull out a diaper and some wipes and look towards my mom for further instruction.

She stands next to me and walks me through the process.

As I take off the diaper, I want to heave as the smell is awful. "Fucking hell" I mutter and I hear Ana giggle as she watches me suffer.

The next thing I realise a fountain of pee is coming out and I quickly push the diaper back on with another curse.

"Shit! Fucking hell!" I say, "What the fuck was that?" I ask and my mom laughs.

"That is what little baby boys do! You always waited till the diaper was taken off, the times your dad got a face full of pee when he tried to change you" she says. I feel my face heat as everyone laughs at this news and my dad loudly agrees with what my mom has said, making my embarrassment even greater.

"Mom!" I mutter.

Eventually the job is done and as I redress my son, I feel a sense of smug achievement. I fucking did it! I pick him up and hold him. I look towards Ana who is watching me with a massive smile on her face and the love in her eyes is unmistakeable.

"Piece of cake!" I say smugly and Ana's grin just gets wider.

**oooOOOooo**

Eventually everyone leaves, and Ana is moved to a private room. The baby is in a crib at the side of her bed and I am sitting the other side. Ana is now fast asleep and Raymond is also sleeping. I can't take my eyes off either of them. This is _my _family; I am now a parent of the next generation of the family. It's quite sobering to realise I'm no longer the youngest generation of the Harper family. I look at my son as he starts to whimper and I pick him up as I want Ana to sleep as long as she can. He can't be hungry yet as he has not long been fed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I whisper as I hold my son in my arms.

I watch as his eyes open and he looks up at me. I touch his fingers with mine and marvel as he grips me tightly.

"You know what son; you have been born into the best family in the world" I whisper.

"You have no idea right now, but as you grow up you will do. There's not only me and your mom. There are your two granddads who you are named after, and your gran. When you get older, I'll tell you just how incredible all your grandparents are. Then there is your other extended family, your great grand-parents and your great-great Uncle Tony and great-aunty Mel and great-aunty Tia". I grin as I remember both Aunty Tia and Aunty Mel being less than enthusiastic about their official great-aunt status, maintaining they were aunty and that's all!

"I promise you right now, that I'll always have your back and you will always be loved and cared for. Just like I had no doubts growing up that my mom and dad were always there for me, I promise that you will feel the same way. I tell you now that I might not be your favourite person at times as I teach you things and set boundaries but hopefully you will learn that whatever I do is in your best interest and because I love you. I'll get things wrong sometimes and I will make mistakes but I'm certain we'll get there in the end". I pause as I notice Ana is now awake and looking at me.

"How much of that did you hear?" I ask sheepishly and she grins at me.

"All of it, and it was lovely" she says quietly.

"I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to wake you" I say.

She shakes her head, "Don't be".

"You should get some rest" I say seriously.

"And you should also try and get some sleep" she retorts.

I know she's right, but I can't bring myself to leave. I look down and see Raymond has fallen asleep again so I place him gently into the crib.

Ana watches me and then shuffles across and pats the bed. "If you're not going home to sleep at least join me here, you will be in pain if you try and sleep in the chair" she says.

I don't need telling twice and I quickly kick off my shoes and although I am still fully clothed, I climb into the bed beside her.

She shuffles into my arms and I wrap my arms around her and kiss her head.

"You really were brilliant today" I say quietly.

"Thank you" she replies, "now go to sleep" she adds.

I grin at her, "Ok, goodnight baby" I say.

"Goodnight Christian… oh and one more thing" she says.

"What?" I ask.

"I love you" she says and she kisses my chest.

I grin again, at her words, "I love you too baby, now… goodnight".

**THE END**


End file.
